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?

Good Lord, I’m not going to quibble on your individual experience but I used to handle a lot of pro bono appeals before I went off long-term sick and I can tell you the system was NOT working at all as much as two years ago. I was accepted for a literal PhD on how many ways it is dysfunctional but couldn’t complete for financial reasons. It is not working in the vast majority of cases.

Yes, we find a lot of that the same in The Netherlands and in the main cities in Hungary.

Busy high streets, quality shops, efficient public transport.

Hahaha!

Privatisation of the special school system which costs LA’s up to £140,000 per child per year - because politically LA’s can not build new schools without an Academy sponsor to open the school.

Privatisation of residential children’s homes, as above. Leaving already underfunded LA’s with even less.

Of course, shareholder payouts must come before children.

Supermarkets locally have very empty shelves, airlines are cancelling and removing flights, trains the same, so unreliable that we daren't use them for fear of being stranded (again).

We know that. There won’t be any more money. It’ll be spent much more wisely though.

Sarcastically I might say "the class system" works as well as it's every worked.

Creativity in the UK across many genres - I think our acting schools, for instance, turn out a phenomenal number of very talented people. that go into theatre, film and TV. Listen to the diverse and innovative range of music this country produces - this country has always punched above it's weight on that front. We innovate in many fields of technology BUT if you want to scale up and take a product to market you have to go to the US to get the financial backing.

HMRC for the salaried worker.

COVID vaccine
Royal mail is still good (IMO)
Payroll departments
Libraries very well run in my area

That's pretty much it

Blame Tory voters OP, the state of the country is 100% on them.

My kids go to great state schools
The NHS whenever I’ve used it has been brilliant
Our local sports facilities and libraries are great
Our train services are actually not bad
I’ve lived in several countries and I’m very grateful for this one! Small things like I feel a lot safer driving here than in many countries I lived in.
Our streets are a lot cleaner too.
We also take care of the more vulnerable in society, some countries I’ve lived in have homeless cities, which I’ve never seen in the UK
I choose to see the positives as well, no point dwelling on the negatives when by global standards we’re very lucky.

Most of us don't get a covid vaccine anymore do we? Leading to more covid out and about to infect those who do. It's short-sighted and stupid to have a vaccine only covid policy and then not to vaccinate everyone who wants one. As it is, we are on track to waste loads of doses.

This attitude is partly what allows governments to get away with making things worse.

It's comforting to look on the bright side, but it isn't always honest.

I'm grateful I don't live somewhere worse too, but factually speaking all the things you mention - schools, the NHS, railways, safety, homelessness - are in a significantly worse state than they were.

It is being 'grateful' that enables governments to treat voters like fools.

I don't want miracles, I just want decent public services. Like we had 15 years ago. I don't see why I should be grateful for decline, especially when the result of deliberate government policy.

@verdantverdure sorry this is a little off-topic and I don’t know how much you know about the Covid vaccine, but I’m ten years older than my boyfriend and very clinically vulnerable with multiple health problems and being basically housebound. Not had my second booster yet or been offered it. He says he’s having the vaccine because he hasn’t had Covid whereas I have and still have traces of long Covid. Do you know if this is the reason? He’s a very healthy 21-year-old.

@MidnightOnceMore that’s what I think, too. On the micro-level I’m grateful for the things that are limping along - my life has been saved by the NHS several times even if it took 15 hours to get me to intensive care (kidney failure on that occasion) and things like passports, driving licences etc are ticking along for a youngish white Briton like me. But how about the homeless, food bank users, those with chronic conditions stuck on waiting lists, criminals (this is more controversial but most of those convicted of incredibly minor crimes are stigmatised, sent out into the world with almost no money and minimal support), immigrants, refugees, the elderly - who are privileged in many ways but also find it very difficult to navigate some systems. The strong and privileged ought to stand up for the weak, it’s no good saying “I’m all right Jack” or adopting a Victorian attitude that being charitable to the “deserving” is all that’s needed.

I’ve lived in other countries which were not unsafe and I agree with this still

Please check out Wales governed by Welsh Labour.

DWP shambolic - takes too long for anything to happen & what's the point in having a journal if no-one reads it?

NHS - 111 sending everyone to A&E. What happened to walk-in centres? In Spain pharmacies can do blood/urine tests & do basic triage & prescribing.

@katie they all got shut down. Eight years ago I had a broken hand x-rayed and plastered in under an hour at a UCU. It no longer exists. I’ve waited up to 21 hours for care at my local A&E since.

The passport office is incredible. Fast and efficient. Did all our passports recently. Amazing service

An ex colleague with appalling cataracts (he hadn’t seen an optician or even a GP for God knows how long) had them dealt with very quickly and efficiently by a private clinic on contract with the NHS.

Privatisation of the special school system which costs LA’s up to £140,000 per child per year - because politically LA’s can not build new schools without an Academy sponsor to open the school.

If a child’s school place costs £140,000 (and a few can be way more than that), then they require far more input and care such as can only be found in the non maintained/independent specialist schools; not maintained special schools afaik.

Twenty five years ago, I didn’t know of any maintained special schools providing that level of input. So, these placements always were private. I don’t think anything has changed?

Do you know of any maintained special schools, where a place costs that much now?

Is it ? Is it really ?

All the devolved administrations are bound up in whatever straightjacket the Tory Westminster government deigns to lock them into.

"Oversee" more than govern would be a better description. I personally see them as Tories wearing a halloween mask of Labour.

Same for all the local authorities going bust. Some are Labour. Some are Tory. But all have had their funding cut (by the way, where the fuck are my taxes going, Rish! ?) until they are indistinguishably poor. (Admittedly Birmingham stands out as making their own Horlicks worse).

He was extremely lucky. Where I live there’s a two year wait for cataract surgery. They do one eye then you get sent to the back of the queue to wait another two years for the other eye to be done. That’s why I paid £5k for my surgery rather than go blind while I was waiting.

You've all been reported.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/04/plans-to-redefine-extremism-would-include-undermining-uk-values

There's very little enthusiasm for Labour though. People just want this government gone.

The women's football team.