Is it any wonder that A&E departments are inundated with patients when your GP surgery tells you to go there? I had been bitten recently and tried to get an appointment with my doctor. I explained that I was bitten whilst on holiday a month or so ago, when to A&E and was prescribed penicillin because it had become infected. I was told I was put on the triage team list and to wait for their call. I asked what if gets worse in the meantime and they said go to A&E. They never called but did send me a text to refer me to a local pharmacy. If I needed penicillin, the pharmacy does not have the authority to issue that and I would have to go back to my doctor. I was expected to take trips here, there and everywhere, when one 5 minute consultation with my GP would have sorted it out immediately. I am normally waiting longer in the waiting area than in the doctor's office. I know they get busy, but we get busy as well. They say go private, but if you do, you can't opt out of the NHS, so in effect you are paying twice, albeit one a lot cheaper than the other.
I understand that we have to pay NICs to get a state retirement pension. I paid in 50 years and you only need 35, I was told no refund for the overpayment of 15 years with their favourite phrase "it doesn't work that way"! It works perfectly well when you have to make up contributions to get a state pension, but they do not like handing it back. My generation was also told that we could retire at 60 and that never happened. As soon as I got to 60, the age went up, as soon as I reached the higher age, it went up again and so on and so forth. Also, as a result of paying in too many years, we are not entitled to a higher pension. Also, a lot of advertisements say you can get this and you can get that, but you can't unless you are on some sort of benefit. I don't consider myself wealthy in any sense, but we are not entitled because we have too much money. Money can be a godsend or it can be a curse.
Well, I believe I have taken up enough of everyone's' valuation time. No doubt some of you will put me straight or agree with me in parts. Either way, I look forward to hearing your comments.
Thank you for reading this post.