To the best of my knowledge Lyme's disease is now known to be present in the UK and has been for quite a few years. Therefore, if someone asks if it has been ruled out I would join you in condemning a refusal to look for it - crass arrogance I would call it. But all sorts can be expected from the profession which issues indigestion tablets to an 80 year old displaying classic heart attack symptoms. Sadly, the UK's health care system scores rather poorly in international comparisons of performance in effectiveness - whether that is down to state ownership I wouldn't presume to be qualified to judge but I rather think the state is not much involved in diagnostic or treatment decisions. My assumption would be that the mental state (incl. "attitude") of the individual making the decisions is overwhelmingly the driver, not what the top end of a long chain of bosses is up to or politics in general. Unfortunately, Lyme's is (sometimes/often ?) a lingering malady - I have a relative who had not truly recovered years after falling ill even though, being in the USA, she was diagnosed within days.