As opposed to the Polish system of having to pay throught the nose and get next to useless service unless backed up with a bribe!
I think you don't understand Polish system that is "free" and has been "free". The bribe you need to cough up is only if you want to jump a line for some treatments. Dental care is 100% free market economy and is working just fine.
Comparing quality of services is pointless, you can find losts of opinions on the Internet that belies your assumption or experience, some people are complaining about British system some about Polish - both nationalities.
If there is a lesson to be learned from it that would be a fact that regardless inequality in resources (as HS in B has a budget comparable to half income of the Polish state) standards of services in both state financed HS are not a world apart as one would have expected. At least at the level when it comes to the basic services. Not that I think that system in Poland is good or better and everything is fine and dandy. Guess what, they are "straining" too.
That just beside the point. That is all a quite immature my daddy is stronger theme.
I'm saying that American private insurance system is better even with Obama nonsense meddling than any state financed system with ingrained directive of "straining" to function properly.
its the concept of providing healthcare to all.
A fine sentiment. Who is going to pay for it?
Its the unique nature of the NHS
Unique in what way? Free healthcare was a standard in the former Soviet block, still is in France, Sweden, Canada and few other countries as well.
Free british healthcare, the envy of all.
Who? Name them! The only time I heard about that famed British free healthcare the envy of all, it was here on PF and from a Brit.
The EU is in charge. EU citizens are entitled to the same benefits as UK citizens. No arguments no buts
Really? Just like that? Why all the beggars and gypsies from poorer countries didn't move already into Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden and Britain? I mean if that was a case we should see a massive shift in population. What stops them? I doubt that is that simple and governments have much more to day on the issue that they let it on.