AIBU to ask if there is anything at all that works as it should in the Uk?

[Lavendersquare]

Just been having a discussion with a colleague and between us we can't think of any public service/government department or agency that is delivering a decent service. Examples include:

Education
NHS
Immigration
Police
Social care
Roads
Railways
Dental Care

it never used to be like this, there was a time when things worked, were maintained and replaced. Now it seems everything is left to the last minute and patched up or left to deteriorate.

What's happened?

Which has come, as I understand it, from one party in power.

I work in a high school and a good proportion of our kids have undiagnosed ADHD. They are climbing the walls and would benefit from medication.
A 3 year waiting list - at the very least - for CAMHS, in order to start the process.
It's a shocking state of affairs.

Yet I don't think anything mental health is actually counted in the NHS waiting lists.

So they are even higher than we think.

Probably topping 10 million people.

Not entirely, but what's your point @saltinesandcoffeecups?

From the ambulance arriving to final discharge, I couldn’t fault the NHS when I was very ill back in March and spent 3 weeks in hospital.

Nor Royal Mail - everything arrives on time. I often send parcels via click and drop - postman collects - and delivery is always v quick. I dare say we’re lucky, though..

@verdantverdure hasn’t changed…All government run programs are good or bad at the whims of whoever controls them.

I’ve raised this same question with people from my non-uk country that want the government to take on more in our lives but when challenged what gov’t agency or program could be counted as a resounding success they are hard pressed to do so…

It seems like you are saying that privately funded means perfection and obviously that's nonsense.

The effectiveness of public services can vary widely, and there are examples of successful and well-functioning public services in different regions.

I have an autoimmune disease and I have to say, the NHS works! I can email my consultant, she knows me and my history well and will pop in and see how I am when I see the nurse. She is fantastic.

Sadly the NHS has failed my ND child so we have to manage that privately.

I’m just asking the question…. Almost everyone thinks the ‘other’ political party does it wrong, so if that’s the case why put more things in the hands of people you think do a terrible job?

I can’t remember saying that private means perfection, but happy to be shown where I did…that being said at least with privatization the free market tends to keep service levels acceptable and offers choices to consumers.

Have a look through these. Really I can’t imagine why more people are not queueing up to pay to train to fill some of the gaps in education and health.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67308318

I was gonna say that I always have clean drinking water, but then I remembered that actually it’s been cut off 5 times in the last few years.

Erm

What works

The internet is usually pretty reliable

I honestly do not know why we put up with it. If we were French, we would be out protesting in yellow jackets.

HMRC? They seem to manage to take a shed load of cash off me without any fuss or bother

Ours isn't tonight. I'm behind on Strictly because of it! Is it fireworks?

What are you suggesting in place of publicly funded services then @saltinesandcoffeecups?

@BarbaraofSeville did you go to Denmark out of interest? When we lived there the contrast between Kastrup (my favourite airport in Europe) and gatwick/Heathrow was always a mindblower every time.

Overpopulation is part of the issue.

Not suggesting anything… just asking the question. You seem to be working quite hard for a ‘gotcha’ moment that isn’t going to happen.

Don’t worry OP, the Labour Party will be in power soon and they’ll fix everything. They’ll tax middle earners to within an inch of their lives and bloat the civil service with even more Diversity and Inclusion managers. Can’t wait!

They’ll have their work cut out to tax anyone more than the current government. Taxes are at their highest for 70 years right now.

Which is why people are going to very disappointed when labour get in. The country won’t magically get richer and be able to pay for high quality public services. Really, it’s a managed decline for the foreseeable.

They’ll give it a good go. Raising taxes, I mean.

I think left leaving voters think that Labour will sweep into power and fix the mess the Conservatives have left.
I for one am sceptical, and would love to be pleasantly surprised. I’d probably be more optimistic if we could bring back David Milliband, however.

This is less don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, more please don’t let the avsolutelyexecrable be the enemy of the mediocre. Labour will very likely be a bit better. That’s what we’ve got to hold on to if the entire country is still stubbornly holding on to the traditional bipartisanship. The least worst feasible option.

Up until this week, I would have said the bit of the courts service that deals with benefit appeals, but I had an appeal on 26 October and the decision letter hasn't arrived yet.

Pre-Covid, they would usually let you wait for the decision, and get the letter out that day or early next day if you didn't. It's been taking a few days, but this is the first time that I've known a client left hanging for over a week for a decision notice.