Are things in the UK as bad as it sounds in the news?

[Lolobella]

I left the UK in 2017 and now live in Europe. I obviously still follow the UK news closely and visit, although I have no family left there.

In the last few months the UK news have become increasingly grim and concerning. I can't tell if it is just the news painting the country in a worse light than necessary, or if things are genuinely as bad as the news make it sound.

Obviously this is a tough historical moment for many countries, but the doom and gloom in UK news is just on another level and makes if sound like the country is in free fall. Poverty, strikes, crazy energy prices, failing NHS and public services.. Is it really so bad?!

The healthcare system isn't functional - we don't really have an ambulance service atm.

Depends where you are and what the pressures are in that area - which obviously people needing service have no real idea about or control over and due to cold snap will be higher at moment.

My DP recently got an ambulance within 2 hours - but in same area in months prior A& E was horrifically backed up with extreme waiting times. GP services are harder to access and 111 is struggling. Care on different wards is vastly different in IL experience some being dire others very good. It's basically very patchy and with strike due - and I totally get why they are striking - not going to get any better any time soon.

NHS dentists were patchy prior to covid - we couldn't get one and had to pay - now lack of them has accelerated and spread to more areas so more of our family now have to pay into monthly schemes.

Postal strike is currently causing issues for us - not getting letters at all at the minute.

School does seem to be managing better this year - my DC actually have permanent teachers and fewer supply than last year - it was ridiculous last year -but many of the better teachers have move on.

I dunno - what's the news saying in your wonderful country OP?

The weather's shite for sure - snow and ice everywhere and -4 today, which is cold. Energy bills have gone up a lot, so we're limiting how much heating we use, which is not something we've had to do before. The cost of living has gone up too, so now I buy two when things are on special offer and have cut back on extraneous expenditure. Fuel prices have gone back down to their previous level - so that's good. Otherwise, there are a few items that are constantly out of stock for months on end, which is really irritating, but life is pretty normal.

Life isn't entirely joyless, in spite of all of the above.

But it's a bit harder to be happy and carefree if that makes sense.

Okay, to clarify, the mortgage mess and employment shortages are on the Government. Those are not external. Likewise export reduction due to bad deal with the EU.

Our ability to recover from external problems is directly affected by this rudderless government. They are terrible

Worse than the U.S? 🤨

Proper UK news such as BBC and the Guardian

Yes it's people bad- the economy, the health service etc.

At least our cities are not being set on fire , because some of the residents are delighted that they beat some of the other residents at football

Things are costing a bit more . Apart from that nothing too bad

Things are dire. Food and energy prices are astronomical, petrol is expensive, due to inflation everything's gone up so even cheap treats are no longer so cheap. It's depressing.

I'm in Sweden and the state of the UK is definitely in the news here. Mostly about the fact that 22% of people in the UK now live in poverty and that people live in cold damp houses because of the cost of heating.

Prices have gone up here too, but not to the same extent. We also pay a lot higher taxes and still have functioning healthcare and well built properties.

Scandinavian here (used to live in the UK), we are wondering the same..Every night watching the news I hear my dh wonder what on earth is going on in the UK these days.. it’s even not worth working for some because child care is too expensive, I mean seriously…

I mean warm banks were not even a concept before this year! Places to go and get warm rather than freeze to death. That says it all.

No - do not watch the BBC or read the Guardian
For most it is fine

The media are definitely very depressing at the moment but we seem to be quite lucky for now locally; my Childrens school isn’t affected by staff shortages, I’ve had no trouble having my youngest seen by a GP and at A&E within the past month and my eldest sons prescription has been filled as usual with no issues.
We’re lucky to not be affected by the price rises but appreciate many aren’t in this position so the house is warm and there’s plenty of food.
The most depressing thing at the moment is this bloody weather. I hate snow!

The headlines are pretty bad, whether everyone is feeling it without that exposure is probably more individual.

Same as anywhere else in Europe

I agree with this

I don't know anyone who is struggling really and nobody I know is wealthy, I'm a single parent myself on £21k and I'm not struggling.

I think it's probably worse for people with young children. Mine is older so I don't have the burden of childcare costs.

It sounds awful. I work in a nursery (£100 a month by the way) and we were asked today if it’s too cold for us. It’s 22 degrees.

Hmm, well, yes - but fucking public services up before those things hit was a deliberate policy choice made by the Tories.

Just one example: deliberate cuts to ICU beds = more COVID deaths.

Another: cuts to nursing bursaries = fewer nurses.

Agree there are variations. We can still see a GP fine. But I know others who have real difficulties. That is because there are lots of GP vacancies, but they carry depending on where you live. Getting an NHS dentist though is very hard.

Headlines in Times, Telegraph, FT all the same. Because things are basically shit.

Sky News, BBC, the Guardian.

The UK does not have the highest tuition fees in the world. Stop making shit up. Just look at what students in the USA are charged. Things are bad enough without the lies and exaggerations thanks.