Page 15 | Why does life seem to shit in the UK

RosieLeaLovesTea · 2024-10-16T22:15:59+00:00

Endless threads about schools going down the pan and poor behaviour in schools making teachers want to leave. NHS waiting lists and quality of care medical is poor. housing market market in crisis and affordability of housing I read the threads and it feels like life in the UK is really shit. Plus crap weathe for 8 months of the year. how did we get here snd what is the solution?

FrauPaige · 18/10/2024 12:13

amigafan2003 · 18/10/2024 12:09

Well, if that's what we're doing I'd rather be poor in the UK rather than the US.

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Good on you. My congratulations to your wife on her job offer

Alexandra2001 · 18/10/2024 12:55

MrsSkylerWhite · 18/10/2024 00:34

jannier · Today 16:37

Because people are only focused on what they haven't got and love to moan.

I’ve just spent 2 days and 2 nights sitting in a plastic chair in A&E at Blackpool Victoria Hospital with my seriously ill husband.

He was “admitted” at 17.06 hours on Monday. He got into his bed at 19.25 on Wednesday. He did not begin to receive his prescribed - urgent - treatment until 12 hours into this visit. He had seen the prescribing consultant 3 hours after we arrived. Not the issue that he was there for, but he has arthritis in his spine. Try to imagine how that would feel after that time, when you are too unwell to stand up and walk around occasionally. Again, not the issue he was there for but he is also diabetic.
During the whole period, he was given 6 cups of tea, 6 sandwiches and no pillows/blankets
Of course, I brought what I could from home to make him more comfortable.
Also during that time I positioned myself between my sick husband and an old lady of 84 who had been brought in at 10am on our second morning and not seen by 10pm the same night. She was confused, upset, dehydrated. I held her hand, talked to her and let two members of staff know of her distress. because I had brought her to their attention, I think they decided she was therefore safe in my hands and no one came to see her for 4 hours. She was in a wheelchair.

My husband is 65. A physics, maths and economics graduate, a very bright person. He works full time in a senior public sector role. He could have chosen to remain in the private sector, where he paid top rate tax as a younger man. He is that rare person though who believes in society and the public sector so for the past nearly 20 years that’s where he’s worked. In a job that in the private sector would have earned our family 4 times the salary. I supported him too because I also believed in the greater good. Ridiculous though that seems now.

Don’t you bloody dare tell me that people just “love to moan”. My husband didn’t “moan” once during his excruciating wait and pleaded with me not to because “it’s not their fault”. He’s right. It isn’t. I have no idea how these people face going back into work again day after day.

I don’t know about “life in Britain” but the NHS is not just on its knees, its face down on the floor, on a slope, trying to crawl uphill.

People like you frankly have no bloody idea. I really, really hope that you don’t have to experience what we’ve been through. Not for the first time. He was admitted two weeks ago for exactly the same condition. Sent home too soon because of immense pressure on beds. With the entirely predictably result that he’s back there now, probably for longer. Frustrated and unable to work again.

I’m not frustrated. I’m fucking incandescent. He - we all - deserve so much better.

My husband wasn’t the only patient in this situation. There were 6 who had been waiting for a bed before him. I know because I asked for details. (Oh yes, I’ll be raising holy hell when he’s home. The medical staff on A&E asked me to).

So please, take your smug one liners and put them somewhere appropriate.

My DD was an AHP in the NHS, she said if you don't complain, you will be ignored, she used to spend half her time advocating for her patients, just to get what they needed as a minimum.

My FiL was left to sit in AE for 24hours, with a very badly infected leg post op, he was then sent to a corridor bed and was left there for a further 18 hours, by chance the consultant who did the original leg op recognised him and got him the treatment he needed, he came with a nats whisker of having his leg amputated!

The NHS is losing staff and not recruiting staff with good english skills, which they used to be able too when we got additional staff from the EU.

We voted for this & Labour don't intend to change it... :(

However, good news for me is my DD is returning to the UK and the NHS as her Gran is poorly and she is close to her.

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 13:06

amigafan2003 · 18/10/2024 12:09

Well, if that's what we're doing I'd rather be poor in the UK rather than the US.

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But you’re emigrating to North America 😆

SquirrelSoShiny · 18/10/2024 13:06

LuckySantangelo35 · 18/10/2024 08:31

@SquirrelSoShiny

be happy for your parents enjoying their retirement! They’ve worked hard for years, raised their kids etc - why not?!

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It would be easier if they had ANY understanding of the advantages they had in life rather than endlessly feeling hard done by.

E.g. mum was a stay at home mum on one salary, then worked in public sector for 20 years and retired with a generous pension in early fifties due to restructuring. Never paid for childcare because Granny, a cheap council house rental which they bought to get on property ladder. Free higher education in mid life. Those things are wonderful but they don't seem to realise that our generation is funding theirs with very little to look forward to in our own later years. Maybe euthanasia if we're lucky.

I could tell you a lot more but I'll spare you. Suffice to say my parents are extremely emotionally immature as well as massively entitled.

amigafan2003 · 18/10/2024 14:35

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 13:06

But you’re emigrating to North America 😆

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Canada != US

And we're not poor....

Cremacreme · 18/10/2024 15:08

@Passwordsaremynemesis a friend (GP) emigrated to OZ & has a fantastic quality of life. Works less hours but earns more, great house close to amenities/beach with a short bike road to work. Dc are at excellent schools. They couldn’t have that lifestyle in a city here without generational wealth.

And here I live near plenty of people who have very ordinary jobs and live in London houses, it’s just reflects when they bought

Thats the point because young people can’t time travel….

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:20

amigafan2003 · 18/10/2024 14:35

Canada != US

And we're not poor....

Edited

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Of course not, god forbid. So really no reason to ever experience the utter shiteness of the UK or comment on how it isn’t 😂

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:21

Cremacreme · 18/10/2024 15:08

@Passwordsaremynemesis a friend (GP) emigrated to OZ & has a fantastic quality of life. Works less hours but earns more, great house close to amenities/beach with a short bike road to work. Dc are at excellent schools. They couldn’t have that lifestyle in a city here without generational wealth.

And here I live near plenty of people who have very ordinary jobs and live in London houses, it’s just reflects when they bought

Thats the point because young people can’t time travel….

Yes, I think the irony passed the poster by 😂

EasternStandard · 18/10/2024 16:40

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:21

Yes, I think the irony passed the poster by 😂

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What’s with all the crying laughing emojis?

Who are they even at

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:50

EasternStandard · 18/10/2024 16:40

What’s with all the crying laughing emojis?

Who are they even at

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You make a statement that’s a bit daft. Of course a teacher could afford a London property in 1985. So could I. Not now though. Makes you wonder where all those vital key workers in London and the South East are expected to live if they don’t have bank of wealthy mum and dad to plunder.

Cremacreme · 18/10/2024 16:51

What’s with all the crying laughing emojis?

Who are they even at

🤔😂😂😂😂

EasternStandard · 18/10/2024 16:54

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:50

You make a statement that’s a bit daft. Of course a teacher could afford a London property in 1985. So could I. Not now though. Makes you wonder where all those vital key workers in London and the South East are expected to live if they don’t have bank of wealthy mum and dad to plunder.

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You’re not negating my point which was Aus had the same issues for young people, this is the press

And there are ordinary people in London as there are in Aus. I doubt it’s easier in Sydney for example to buy a property, so it depends where you are

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:55

Cremacreme · 18/10/2024 16:51

What’s with all the crying laughing emojis?

Who are they even at

🤔😂😂😂😂

😉😆

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:58

EasternStandard · 18/10/2024 16:54

You’re not negating my point which was Aus had the same issues for young people, this is the press

And there are ordinary people in London as there are in Aus. I doubt it’s easier in Sydney for example to buy a property, so it depends where you are

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Not really bothered about ‘Aus’ tbh.
There are indeed ordinary people living in London but many under the age of 40 are still living in rented despite having reasonably well paid jobs. No doubt your own kids will struggle unless you’re loaded and can help.

EasternStandard · 18/10/2024 17:06

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 16:58

Not really bothered about ‘Aus’ tbh.
There are indeed ordinary people living in London but many under the age of 40 are still living in rented despite having reasonably well paid jobs. No doubt your own kids will struggle unless you’re loaded and can help.

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I was responding to a pp who compared it to Aus. No need to respond if if it’s of no interest.

MovingToPlan · 18/10/2024 17:14

I quite like being able to own property and vote, so it's not exactly a hellhole here. I live in an area with good schools, decent GPs, efficient local hospital, and we had a lovely summer. I'm in Yorkshire, not some exotic locale.

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 17:17

MovingToPlan · 18/10/2024 17:14

I quite like being able to own property and vote, so it's not exactly a hellhole here. I live in an area with good schools, decent GPs, efficient local hospital, and we had a lovely summer. I'm in Yorkshire, not some exotic locale.

How much is the average house where you live out of interest ?

MovingToPlan · 18/10/2024 17:19

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 17:17

How much is the average house where you live out of interest ?

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From rightmove.co.uk

Properties in XX had an overall average price of £247,016 over the last year.

The majority of sales in XX during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £189,347. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £254,303, with detached properties fetching £384,974.

Overall, sold prices in XX over the last year were 4% down on the previous year and 2% up on the 2021 peak of £242,343.

RavenhairedRachel · 18/10/2024 17:46

Too much immigration. We haven't got the infrastructure to cope.

Scentedjasmin · 18/10/2024 17:49

GalaticalFarce · 16/10/2024 23:38

It is pretty shit here. I have friends in Germany and US and they think it's shit here too. And I see it's not as shit for them over there.
Schools are better, German health service is better, US is too if you have good insurance but probably shit for others.
Their salaries are higher, homes are more spacious, weather is better so more outdoorsy. This makes a massive difference.

I've take the UK over Germany and The US. Have you seen the state of the economy in Germany at the moment?

Leniriefenstahl · 18/10/2024 18:28

Scentedjasmin · 18/10/2024 17:49

I've take the UK over Germany and The US. Have you seen the state of the economy in Germany at the moment?

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Depends how the worst in Germany compares with the worst in the UK.
I do know that wealth inequality is far worse here. Some of the most deprived areas in Europe are in the UK.

VickyPollard25 · 18/10/2024 18:33

TeenLifeMum · 16/10/2024 23:29

People love being negative. Is it really shit in the uk? I can list quite a few worse places. If you don’t like where you live, move. Life is far too short to be miserable.

I agree. Move to Australia and complain about the cost of housing and living there. Nice weather though!

There are so many wonderful things about the UK. Just make an effort to enjoy them - go see the beautiful building and sights in London and the countryside. Plenty of plays and musicals are on, and so many museums. Even a pub lunch with friends is lovely.

restingbitchface30 · 18/10/2024 18:33

It’s a bit bleak yeah but I think perspectives important here. At least here women have equality. At least gay people are allowed to be themselves. At least we aren’t at war.

SassySnake · 18/10/2024 18:45

Simonjt · 17/10/2024 02:05

The UK has always had low wages and high taxes compared to similar countries, this had been survivable for a long time, but extreme austerity and a complete failure to recover from the crash in 2008 meant the buffers the UK had to get on okay with low wages was gone. On top of that a large enough portion of the population either don’t want things to improve, or they think not a single penny of their own money should be used for the good of the country. Those things are never going to create a stable economy with good public services.

On top of that a one term solution is impossible, so that prevents change as people who simply don’t understand basic economics will spit their dummy out because the UK isn’t fixed in a couple of years.

Its like the lies of mass immigration, rather than help solve an issue, for many inventing a cause is preferable.

We have left the UK, we don’t think the UK is shit, but we know its in a mess at the moment. Where we now live we earn more and pay less in taxes, we also have lower costs as childcare is extremely cheap, health care we have used has been very good (I’m currently in hospital, the care has been brilliant, food is great etc, its comparable to private care in the UK), our sons school is good, wrap around care is not just a right, there’s also no additional cost, the same with school meals. If we were on the same wage we had in the UK we would still be better off here by about £1,300 per month, this is mainly due to childcare, however we only used childcare in the UK three days a week, so it was ‘cheap’ compared to many. If any of our two decide to attend university here it won’t cost anything in fees.

What is this country you’ve moved to ?

skyscrapersinging · 18/10/2024 18:56

Because tbh it is fairly shit at the moment. Schools, health, roads, weather, Brexit, low wages. All of it. I’m counting down the years until I can get away from here.