NHS- Good Product, Not So Good Service

As someone who has had two fairly serious illnesses in the last few years, I feel I'm in a good position to comment on the current debate about the NHS.
When I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis three years ago, the joints in my fingers and wrists swelled to twice their normal size and I was considerably debilitated. Initially I was treated privately but went on to the NHS when it became clear I would need ongoing treatment, for which private insurance wouldn't pay. The NHS has been pretty good: I receive thousands of pounds worth of drugs that ensure I am virtually sympton free, and regular outpatient visits and treatments which are always excellent.
There are shortcomings though- the regularity with which appointments are postponed, and the fact that the cost of the main drug I receive has been questioned even though it leaves RA sufferers like myself virtually symptomless .
Five years ago, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was treated privately by brachytherapy which, without going into details, has far less side effects than other treatments but which wasn't available at that time on the NHS. The private room aftercare was wonderful.
A relative in his late seventies was recently given two hugely expensive life saving operations from an top class specialist on the NHS. There is no way health insurance would have been an option for a man of his age. However his aftercare left a lot to be desired with caring staff overworked and some others completely indifferent to his needs.
When you run a business, especially in retailing like Your Life Your Style, you know that you must not only provide a good value product but that you must also give superb service. The NHS usually gets the first right but falls down far too often at the second. It's the classic failing of an organisation that lacks competition and doesn't put people first, though I don't doubt that artificial competition in the form of outsourcing and targets has also had a damaging effect.
I used to receive health insurance through my employer. I was tempted to give it up when I went into business for myself but all my experience tells me to carry on paying the extortionate health insurance premiums, at least for the time being. On the other hand, the NHS means that anyone who is ill can be treated irrespective of age or income and I wouldn't hesitate to defend it against the uninformed criticisms of American conservatives.