American perceptions of the British National Health Service: five myths

This article explores five strong beliefs, or myths, held by Americans about the British National Health Service: (1) the NHS is socialized medicine; (2) widespread rationing occurs; (3) NHS patients have to face long waiting times; (4) the NHS does not offer free choice of provider; and (5) private medicine is taking over. The authors explore how ethnocentricity and American values have shaped these five myths, and argue that these cultural biases limit the ability of Americans to objectively evaluate the NHS and prevent them from learning from the British system.