During the #NBCfail coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony, Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer gushed over the tribute to the British National Health Service. But Monday night on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” a few Twitter users noticed Vieira wasn’t exactly gushing about the NHS.

Meredith Vieira on Fallon just said she injured her thumb in London & she was told not to use NHS but to go to a private doctor. — Dr. Schadenfreude (@PoliticsOfFear) August 14, 2012

Meredith Viera had to go to the hospital while in London. She asked about NHS, and they said, "oh no, go to a private doctor". HA!!! — Ryan Kime (@ryankime) August 14, 2012

Here’s what Vieira told Fallon about the surgery she had on her thumb while she was in London:

You know what was interesting? How in the opening ceremony they hyped the National Health Service, which is their public health service. And then when I had an infection they said, “Oh no no no, you’re going to a private doctor.” Which makes me wonder about the health service.”

So, all those news stories about NHS facilities swarming with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, British citizens being denied life-saving treatment and people dying while waiting for service didn’t make her “wonder,” but getting sent to a private doctor did? Typical liberal elitist: let the little people do as I say, not as I do.

One Twitter user was less than pleased with Vieira.

https://twitter.com/brionka/status/235237382469853185

We suspect other defenders of socialized health care will have similar reactions.