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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think the UK has become awful?

815 replies

ma1formed · 13/09/2023 20:26

I can't pinpoint when, but it feels like everything that was once pretty good is now quite awful

So expensive
No doctors
Uni costs for kids insane
Terrible rent / can't buy a house
Everyone seems quite unpleasant or racist

Is it just me?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
Trixiefirecracker · 04/10/2023 16:30

Also like to add have only had excellent care through the NHS, three babies and one miscarriage later. Also both my folks passed away recently and were very well treated and after care was fab. Just to redress the balance a bit.

ShellySarah · 04/10/2023 16:30

No doctors

So who has been providing me with top medical care all these years?

Who has been caring for my mum in hospital?

Bizarre thing to say

Badbadbunny · 04/10/2023 16:30

@YawningCat

My elderly grandfather with advanced dementia recently had an in stay at an nhs hospital and had a catheter inserted. It was three days before anyone realised they were treating the wrong patient.

My FIL had a collapsed lung caused by a hospital acquired infection. They put in a chest drain, but no one seemed to notice that the "collection jar" was still empty a few days later. My OH asked a nurse about it a few days after, and it was an "Oh Shit" moment, she called a doctor, and the next day, they'd removed and re-instated it and the jar was virtually full a few hours later! So much for "obs" being done regularly - presumably it was a trainee or HCA who did the obs and didn't bother to check - maybe it wasn't on their "check off" list of things to do, and seemingly common sense no longer exists.

MeAndStuart1981 · 04/10/2023 16:35

Teddleshon · 21/09/2023 08:52

I’m an Aussie and sorry but I loathe the NHS but absolutely love most other aspects of the UK (although why you don’t have mixer taps in sinks and why some of you peel potatoes directly into the sink is something I will never come to terms with).

You're an Aussie and you loathe the NHS? Strange thing to say, but I have to stick up for the NHS with my experience.

The NHS saved my DH's life with outstanding care at the City Hospital Heart Unit in Nottm. Fantastic staff and service.

Pherian · 04/10/2023 16:53

First part of the issue is that there are a large number of people are under employed and unemployed. This deprives people who genuinely need benefits and stops those folks having access to a better quality of life and adequate care. It also deprives the taxpayers left to pick up the difference.

Then you have people who are coming over in droves to illegally migrate to this country and they are also wanting to be financially supported and housed. Currently most of them are being housed in hotel properties around the country. Aside from the daily financial impact on the tax payer. There is an impact within the communities they are in as well: GP's, schools and overuse of public services Fire, Police etc.

Then we have war in Ukraine and Brexit. . Is this genuinely responsible for the ridiculous hike in electricity and gas ? Interest rates ? Inflation ? Cost of Living... time will tell.

Then you have a section of people who are being milked by taxes and interest rates. They don't get the "social rates" "cost of living bonuses" "free boiler upgrade" etc and therefore end up getting screwed even more. This group of people are effectively the glue holding this shit show together right now. All of these people are increasingly becoming rather vocal about how they feel about the above.

Does that make them quite unpleasant ? Racist ? I guess that's a matter of personal opinion.

Teddleshon · 04/10/2023 16:58

@MeAndStuart1981 I've lived here for over 30 years and had four babies delivered in NHS hospitals.

Angrycat2768 · 04/10/2023 17:09

Pherian · 04/10/2023 16:53

First part of the issue is that there are a large number of people are under employed and unemployed. This deprives people who genuinely need benefits and stops those folks having access to a better quality of life and adequate care. It also deprives the taxpayers left to pick up the difference.

Then you have people who are coming over in droves to illegally migrate to this country and they are also wanting to be financially supported and housed. Currently most of them are being housed in hotel properties around the country. Aside from the daily financial impact on the tax payer. There is an impact within the communities they are in as well: GP's, schools and overuse of public services Fire, Police etc.

Then we have war in Ukraine and Brexit. . Is this genuinely responsible for the ridiculous hike in electricity and gas ? Interest rates ? Inflation ? Cost of Living... time will tell.

Then you have a section of people who are being milked by taxes and interest rates. They don't get the "social rates" "cost of living bonuses" "free boiler upgrade" etc and therefore end up getting screwed even more. This group of people are effectively the glue holding this shit show together right now. All of these people are increasingly becoming rather vocal about how they feel about the above.

Does that make them quite unpleasant ? Racist ? I guess that's a matter of personal opinion.

Edited

Many people on benefits are working, but in zero hours unstable contract jobs and jobs that don't pay a living wage, so need to be topped up by benefits. Added to that we have people who are on long term sick because they are languishing on waiting lists for NHS treatment, and cannot work or cannot work to full capacity until their medical conditions are treated. People 'coming here in their droves' to work illegally do so partly because they know their asylum cases will take so long to process that they can just disappear. Although other European countries are taking far more migrants than we are. All of the above things are happening because of poor governance, short termism, austerity, lack of investment in training and education of our children and young people, and massive cutbacks in services and resources across the board in all public services. Low wages should not be topped up by benefits but taken from profits of businesses. Maybe instead of businesses trying to top their year on year profits every year, they should pay staff more and invest in training of their own staff instead of relying on importing immigrants already trained by other people and maybe make a little less profit, instead of relying on the government to top up their employees wages. Maybe while they are at it, give their employees proper stable contracts. Yes people who can work should work, and we need to massively overhaul our education system and the attitude of some people towards education and aspiration in general, but people on the poverty line make poor decisions partly because they don't have the bandwidth to make good decisions, especially if they are working several zero hours contract jobs and not getting anywhere.

MeAndStuart1981 · 04/10/2023 17:15

Teddleshon · 04/10/2023 16:58

@MeAndStuart1981 I've lived here for over 30 years and had four babies delivered in NHS hospitals.

I've had 2 babies - one natural and one cesarean. I still think loathe is a very harsh word to describe the NHS.

Teddleshon · 04/10/2023 17:29

Not based on my experience it isn’t.

Crikeyalmighty · 04/10/2023 17:38

@Pherian I think you need to possibly look at the underlying reasons for lots of this. Not maybe what the Daily mail tells you are the reasons - Some of it is partly accurate, others things not really @Angrycat2768 yes, much of that is true

We have a late middle aged population who can now access money early from pensions- given most places are shit storms to work for these days, lots are leaving the workforce early and taking the cash- meaning less tax take generally.

We have masses of people relying on top ups due to low paid and often insecure jobs and the humongous cost of private rented housing in many parts of the country

We have childcare costs that make it very difficult for 2 people to work for quite a few years unless on very good money and hence again- less tax take and more too ups

We have a bunch of people who can't see the point in working because of all the above and the fact their modest earnings would all vanish in rent and costs they now have to 100% pay, they would rather simply 'get by' meagrely but do bugger all if they can get away with it. ( and whilst awful and they will never benefit by building a CV) - it's not hard to understand where they are coming from if they are always likely to be in low waged, low skilled work.

The immigration thing- well the amount of illegal immigration (and no they aren't being housed in the system) isa puss in the wind compared to the 700k the government actively encouraged here last year. So if you are voting for this bunch based on immigration- you are barking up the wrong tree.they are allowing masses of it from the developing countries to try and fill Brexit holes.

Pherian · 04/10/2023 17:43

Crikeyalmighty · 04/10/2023 17:38

@Pherian I think you need to possibly look at the underlying reasons for lots of this. Not maybe what the Daily mail tells you are the reasons - Some of it is partly accurate, others things not really @Angrycat2768 yes, much of that is true

We have a late middle aged population who can now access money early from pensions- given most places are shit storms to work for these days, lots are leaving the workforce early and taking the cash- meaning less tax take generally.

We have masses of people relying on top ups due to low paid and often insecure jobs and the humongous cost of private rented housing in many parts of the country

We have childcare costs that make it very difficult for 2 people to work for quite a few years unless on very good money and hence again- less tax take and more too ups

We have a bunch of people who can't see the point in working because of all the above and the fact their modest earnings would all vanish in rent and costs they now have to 100% pay, they would rather simply 'get by' meagrely but do bugger all if they can get away with it. ( and whilst awful and they will never benefit by building a CV) - it's not hard to understand where they are coming from if they are always likely to be in low waged, low skilled work.

The immigration thing- well the amount of illegal immigration (and no they aren't being housed in the system) isa puss in the wind compared to the 700k the government actively encouraged here last year. So if you are voting for this bunch based on immigration- you are barking up the wrong tree.they are allowing masses of it from the developing countries to try and fill Brexit holes.

I don't read the Daily Mail, but thank you :).

Meowandthen · 04/10/2023 20:50

Highandlows · 03/10/2023 11:18

@TorqueWrench

About here having less woke issues. This is because we have a conservative government. Once Labour gets in this would be equally as bad in than sense as the US.

Edited

What is this nonsense? I am sick of people using the word “woke” pejoratively. It just screams gammony bigot. Being aware of injustice and wanting fairness is a good thing.

Meowandthen · 04/10/2023 20:54

Pherian · 04/10/2023 16:53

First part of the issue is that there are a large number of people are under employed and unemployed. This deprives people who genuinely need benefits and stops those folks having access to a better quality of life and adequate care. It also deprives the taxpayers left to pick up the difference.

Then you have people who are coming over in droves to illegally migrate to this country and they are also wanting to be financially supported and housed. Currently most of them are being housed in hotel properties around the country. Aside from the daily financial impact on the tax payer. There is an impact within the communities they are in as well: GP's, schools and overuse of public services Fire, Police etc.

Then we have war in Ukraine and Brexit. . Is this genuinely responsible for the ridiculous hike in electricity and gas ? Interest rates ? Inflation ? Cost of Living... time will tell.

Then you have a section of people who are being milked by taxes and interest rates. They don't get the "social rates" "cost of living bonuses" "free boiler upgrade" etc and therefore end up getting screwed even more. This group of people are effectively the glue holding this shit show together right now. All of these people are increasingly becoming rather vocal about how they feel about the above.

Does that make them quite unpleasant ? Racist ? I guess that's a matter of personal opinion.

Edited

These “droves” are not the cause of the UK’s problems. The cost isn’t even close the money wasted by this government.

Yazo · 04/10/2023 21:02

Well it is expensive and lots of people are racist but plenty aren't

Crikeyalmighty · 04/10/2023 22:24

@Pherian I do agree though that there are a lot of unemployed and underemployed - and that's one reason the country is paying out ludicrous amounts in various things- however as I tried to show there are many reasons for this and it's not just a black and white situation.

I know someone with 2 over fives who gets UC and her rent paid- works 1/2 a day a week. On top of this she gets very good child maintanance (not far off£1000 a month) which isn't these days factored into the equation at all - she can't be arsed to work because she's doing nicely thank you not working because her maintanance isn't counted and personally I think that's a ludicrous position - and from a Tory government.

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