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Original poster

Why are all government workers the same? (Bar the odd minority)

130 replies

Cel119 · 19/06/2025 13:59

By government workers i mean council, NHS, police, Ambulance.
Last night we had to go to A&E as relative was suffering from stroke symptoms. He didnt want to go alone so i accompanied. As he was being triaged the HCA asked for the blue folder and i handed it and she looked at me like i handed her a shit and said "ooooooo.... kkkkkk". I am type 1 diabetic and as relative was being assessed I started suffering a very bad hypo. I thought i was going to collapse. I think it was the combination of heat and insulin working too quickly. I said "im really sorry, im having a hypo and I need to sit" the HCA said "how do you know?" Considering I have had diabetes more than half my life I knew the symptoms and my sensor had alarmed me. But for some reason this hypo was making me feel really bad. She replied "if you want to be seen you will have to sign in" no compassion, empathy. Just stone cold nasty. I replied "I don't want to be seen i just need to sit" she did the same "oooo... kkkk" the room starting going really bright and I thought I need to get out. So I stumbled out holding the walls. I sat in a chair. The HCA asked a nurse to do my blood glucose(i think because she didnt believe me). The nurse came along grabbed my hand, didnt clean my hand, did blood glucose (from the wrong finger) and shoved my hand back at me then read out the glucose which were low. Then stomped off. I dont even know if she used a clean needle! I just sat and ate my jelly babies thinking please dont collapse as i didnt fancy that infront of a room full of strangers. It just seemed very harsh and cold to treat someone this way. I saw police treating another mental health patient the same. In my past I have had abhorrent behaviour from ambulance crew. Council workers are rude and dismissive of any issues anyone has. It's like the country has reached a massive disparity in power with the average working man being treated like a turd that would be better off dead. Why is everyone in these jobs like this? They don't think reasonably. You could explain a situation that seems completely reasonable and they will find a reason that it's not reasonable. I have had experiences like this time and again.
I have also worked as an qualified NHS worker(dietitian) and worked amongst them and they are some of the most cruel, uncaring and bullying type to work with. Towards patients and colleagues. It's a toxic environment. Full of bullies. Why? What fuels this? In a career where you are meant to care, you get people devoid of any humanity treating people in need. As I said, you get the odd person who clearly went into it because they want to help people, but not often.

OP posts:
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Original poster
Cel119 · 22/08/2025 00:57

MolluscMonday · 22/06/2025 00:58

I don’t get it.

She asked for a folder. You gave it to her and she said “ok”.

You were then taken unwell. She said you needed to sign in in order to be assessed. You declined to do this. She then went and got you medical attention anyway.

What did she do wrong exactly?

She said "...ok" eyes roll, in a "mean girl" way but was pushing on 60. She then proceeded to talk to everyone in the same patronising, disgusted manner. Sometimes its not just the words used but the way its said. I did explain this. Care to read?

OP posts:
Original poster
Cel119 · 22/08/2025 00:55

Lardychops · 20/06/2025 00:03

On a personal level - bugger off OP!!
I’ve given 30 years nigh on, of blood sweat and literal tears as well as 100s of 60/65 hour weeks - to public service

In a sweeping general sense you may have a point about SOME workers and the existence in SOME instances of a prevailing culture where the public they serve become an ‘inconvenience’ (largely due to cuts/limited resources/ burn out/ goalposts changing/targers/new initiatives that reverse on a pin head etc etc)
Its very stressful trying to do your job with one hand tied behind your back and a lack of support from senior management ( for whom WE on the front line and our issues are their ‘inconvenience’ who’s attitude is the classic ‘JFGID’ !!!

More fool you for giving anything to it. Especially, with the pay and being overworked. It shouldnt be the patients that suffer the governments doing, though. So should i say "bugger off NHS worker". We can to and fro all day long. What came first... the chicken or the egg.

OP posts:
XWKD · 22/06/2025 01:14

I hope he's ok. I get stroke symptoms and so does my cousin. He was admitted to hospital with a suspected stroke. It's actually migraine but neither of us gets a headache. Hopefully it's just something like that.

MolluscMonday · 22/06/2025 00:58

I don’t get it.

She asked for a folder. You gave it to her and she said “ok”.

You were then taken unwell. She said you needed to sign in in order to be assessed. You declined to do this. She then went and got you medical attention anyway.

What did she do wrong exactly?

Original poster
Cel119 · 22/06/2025 00:46

Just an update on this as been very busy. The night i went to A&E with relative we ended up having to leave because he was feeling so unwell and had been sitting on the chairs for 4 hours. He went back the next day as he still felt odd and I couldn't accompany due to childcare. When he entered they kept berating him saying "he should have stayed" he obviously just replied "yes, I know but I was feeling very unwell and uncomfortable on the chairs". The nurse kept repeating it and being quite rude about it, which I wasnt surprised. Then others in the waiting room were muttering about her being rude to them. This is what relative told me as i wasnt there. He ended up waiting 7 hours to see a stroke doctor who thought he may have had a TIA and put him on aspirin. He was then referred to a TIA clinic for an emergency appointment today which I attended with him. The people in these clinics were lovely. It was like night and day. They listened in depth to my relative and really showed they cared. I dont know what it is about A&E (and my diabetes appointments) but the staff can be very rude and harsh. I understand that they probably get a lot of people in A&E with minor problems (not A&E worthy which when you look around it does seem that way, but I guess you cant see what someone is going through). But the attitude that everyone is a time waster can make the patient feel really sh*£ at a vulnerable time. I try to avoid hospital myself(unless in DKA), because of my very bad experiences in them. No, I dont work in the NHS anymore. I decided to use my degree for other avenues.
They found relative has possibly had a TIA, but it may also be stress related due to his occupation. He is on aspirin for now. He is only 37, but his father also had a stroke at a young age too.

OP posts:
GabriellaMontez · 21/06/2025 21:17

I know what you mean about hospitals. They have become generally horrific.

But ime it doesnt extend to other public services. It doesnt even extend to my GP practice which is excellent.

nearlylovemyusername · 21/06/2025 21:13

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 19/06/2025 14:34

Echoing another poster, I understand that was a very upsetting experience, but equally I think it's very wrong to generalise. Most people working in the emergency services/ NHS (that’s who you’re talking about not government employees) I have found to be considerate and kind - or at the very least polite.

You refer to them as an HCA and (forgive me if I’m wrong) they are very junior in the ranking of HCPs - junior to nurses. So they’re probably getting paid bugger all to deal with a large bulk of the work. My perception is it’s a very thankless task, and probably not made easier by those there to support the patients declaring themselves unwell and in need of care. I’m sure you didn’t mean to say you needed care but that was probably the impression they got - they must be busy enough with the actual patients!

Also - those who work in the public sector are generally motivated to do so by a desire to help others. The pay is usually shit (edited autocorrect) and they sure as hell aren’t doing it because they can’t get another job - if anything it can be harder to get a PS job than private!

Edited

You refer to them as an HCA and (forgive me if I’m wrong) they are very junior in the ranking of HCPs - junior to nurses. So they’re probably getting paid bugger all to deal with a large bulk of the work. My perception is it’s a very thankless task, and probably not made easier by those there to support the patients declaring themselves unwell and in need of care.

Wow! Not made easier by patients declaring themselves unwell?!?!? in A&E??? is this for real???

If they are paid so little then why not to get a job at Tesco? or hang on, they wouldn't get their pension then, sickness policy, they could be sacked easily, right? so their jobs aren't that shitty then.
Out of all PS workers I met, 95% wouldn't last a week in private sector.

TizerorFizz · 21/06/2025 20:54

Oh and NHS England quotes exactly the same data as a reason to drive up productivity. So no one who matters thinks it’s good enough.

TizerorFizz · 21/06/2025 20:50

@WaryCrow I’m not right wing. Maybe it’s millions on waiting lists? You look at the balance between inputs and output. The Kings Fund is a good source of info as you say but it backs up what I’m saying.

Why are all government workers the same? (Bar the odd minority)
WaryCrow · 21/06/2025 18:19

TizerorFizz · 19/06/2025 18:27

It’s well documented that civil service and nhs productivity is very low. This is because the customer cannot pay their money and take their choice. We are stuck with it. If there was a realistic choice, and relief from tax, some of us might choose to be customers of more efficient organisations.

The services that are more or less state monopolies have no competition and no real incentive to be customer friendly or even efficient. Time isn’t money. Customer satisfaction doesn’t matter. NHs has poor customer satisfaction and who cares?

The NHs IS the government. Who else pays for it via our taxes? Maybe anyone paying £700 a month in tax gets great value. If you are paying £7,000 a month it feels poor value.

I’m not quite sure where this oft repeated right wing male trope about NHS low productivity comes from.

Whats known is that the NHS is actually quite efficient for the amount of money spent on it and the numbers of staff that it has. Where it fails is down to the limited number of staff and amou t of equipment. This is all compared to other European countries.

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/comparing-nhs-to-health-care-systems-other-countries

What I’ve noticed time and time again is that reason, knowledge, and facts really are not wanted or cared about when ideology is at stake. You can’t reason with either money or prejudice, because they are neither of them founded on reason.

tattyteddy · 21/06/2025 18:11

I’m a Social Worker in a council. I work my socks off and we are over worked and underpaid! I certainly don’t do it for the money and just want to help people. Social work is also a thankless job!

Happyher · 21/06/2025 18:05

Probably because most people who’ve worked directly with the public will have been shouted at, sworn at, spat at, verbally abused and more and at the end of a long shift have very little empathy left. Only a minority of customers/clients are like this but it makes you wary and distrustful. It worse if you frequently have to say ‘no’ to something they want.

XWKD · 21/06/2025 18:02

Why are patients ad people who ring up the council so obnoxious? The generalisation works both ways.

WaryCrow · 21/06/2025 17:57

So you’re specifically complaining about HCAs who are paid minimum wage for a demanding job in shit conditions dealing with shit patients (google how many NHS workers get attacked, sexually harassed, or the latest, videoed for TikTok) … and , not conincidentally, are women, in the most sexist country of Europe. Because men would not do this work in shit conditions for low pay.

(For comparison look up the Birmingham bin men strikes and train drivers wages, and ask yourself which is the most valuable worker)

You might also want to consider the consequences of doing this kind of work, helping people, in said shit conditions, only to be told in the media that you’re lazy and unproductive.

Anyway I’ll go read the thread now I know what it’s about.

JLou08 · 21/06/2025 17:40

That's not my experience. I can only think of a few times I have had bad care, a couple of times as a teenager and again following my first birth which was 16 years ago. Fantastic maternity care with my youngest. DH was recently in hospital and had great treatment, my youngest has had medical issues and been treated well at all outpatients appointments. I've been in an ambulance twice in my lifetime, the paramedics were great. One of those was when my son was having an asthma attack and the paramedic was so good with him.

Hotflushesandchilblains · 21/06/2025 17:32

Cel119 · 19/06/2025 23:28

When you say to someone they expect flowers and sympathy youre being the patronising one and deserve any insult you get back.
How do you think someone presents when they're stumbling all over the place? Entitled, is that what youre accusing me of? (Exactly the attitude of the veey people i am talking about) Or Unwell? How would I present anyway other way than unwell if I am in fact, unwell? What does that even mean. I could barely talk. And yeh, I didnt self diagnose. I had a sensor on that alarmed 3.5 with an arrow down. This was just before I said I need to sit down. If you read my post you would know this.

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And your speculating on whether the nurse used a dirty needle? And calling people cunts? How do you explain those? I gave you some context (and yes, I do know what I am talking about) and you just justified what you did in an aggressive way. And then used that to write off all public service workers everywhere. The more you write, the more I think your attitude is part of the problem.

ClareBlue · 20/06/2025 16:41

Have you seen how public sector workers get treated by the public sometimes. Maybe that's a good place to start to find an answer to your question.

TizerorFizz · 20/06/2025 14:27

@Ketzele Except that most private firms don’t use agency staff and don’t return useless people. That’s the difference. People don’t want to work for poorly managed organisations and the NHS in particular really needs to improve although some aspects are good.

Ketzele · 20/06/2025 13:17

Ive worked in the civil service and the NHS, and I think your sweeping generalisations are hugely unhelpful.

Having said which, all workplaces have their cultures and there is often a negative side. The NHS does have a bullying problem and also a lot of burnout that can lead to bitter, insular thinking and lack of empathy. Chronic staffing shortages mean staff who should have been moved on get retained, and overuse of agency staff mean crap staff can just keep moving through the system.

But your analysis is back to front. The problem is not that horrible people get recruited into public service, it's that horrendous working conditions will result in poor staff behaviours. I'm not defending that, it's just a fact. And it's a fact in the private sector just as much as the public sector.

Paganpentacle · 20/06/2025 12:33

Ninjasan · 19/06/2025 14:29

YANBU. I am not from UK so to me HNS is a service like any other. People are being paid for doing their jobs, they chose their profession. They have good pensions, sick benefits, maternity packages. They should provide customer service. Many of them don't. They don't see it as a business and us as customers so they don't have to be nice or just simply profesional. Civil servants just want to get back to Covid and lockdown. Work productivity is down. Again, they almost unsackable so there is no motivation to be nice to people causing them problems and more work (customers).

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Pension is dependant on salary and what you pay in.

I work in primary care... NO sick pay, statutory maternity pay.

Next....

Auroraloves · 20/06/2025 12:21

Cel119 · 19/06/2025 23:43

I agree it's stressful ans under paid job. I know i worked in it. But it's a vocation too. People go into this not because of the money, because they care. Or that used to be why. Not anymore. When people are treated as people (whatever their circumstances) that's when the mutual respect will return. Whilst their are people who immediately turn their nose up at someone there will always be this problem. You don't go to hospital voluntarily to sit for hours whilst ill to receive abuse
They also out up these signs saying "we won't take abuse, physical or verbal. Choose your treatment" but are verbally and physically abusive to patients knowing the patient darent stand up for themselves because they could call police and say the patient was abusive. It's all done on purpose to trap people in a complete sense of powerlessness on how they are treated.
I say this because of the man who was seen by this particular lady who squeezed his broken foot so hard he screamed in pain. Then said he didnt need an x ray. Was answering him in a rude tone and said something to the effect of "oh not your type" which he took to mean his type being Irish.
I didnt say anything in response to my treatment or stand up for myself. I just felt way too ill to. I just accepted it and hoped the jelly babies would kick in soon lol. Really scary experience and to be treated like that too was hard.

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So because of your very narrow view of seeing these incidents in one a&e, all nhs workers are the same?

my husband attended a&e ( for an actual emergency btw) and they couldn’t have been more attentive, professional, kind and caring. The aftercare on the wards and in therapy appointments have been brilliant. I also work in the same hospital different dept and we receive letters of praise for our care regularly

DiscoBob · 20/06/2025 12:08

Absolutely all the nurses I had in hospital (ward nurses and 24/7 RMN for 5 weeks, so a lot of nurses) were at worst simply professional and a bit monosyllabic, and at best really lovely, kind and had a really nice personality. None seemed cruel or nasty at all.

I'm sorry for your experience but I've never felt the majority of NHS staff are horrible..I think they're bloody saints a lot of the time!

ToClimb · 20/06/2025 12:02

Tbh the more the OP posts the more sure I am that she is the issue here

NoThankYouSis · 20/06/2025 02:41

Have you met the general public recently? I couldn’t do their job. Grin

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