One Year back in the UK: My Reflections
Jul 9th 2008, 9:58 am
#256
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Castle Hill, Sydney (previously Brum)
Posts: 1,095
Re: One Year back in the UK: My Reflections
Hmmmm....nope, definitely Oz! Although I think the Hills, whilst a lovely green, safe (oh, apart from the stash of 64 large calibre weapons confiscated by police just two streets away from us today) is particularly dull. We went a walk up Mt. Hay today...really lovely as it's more windswept...none of this having to peer at rainforest malarky, but we did not see one other person up there. Where is everyone? I miss having people around me for a bit of banter. Going back in November to the UK to test the waters so we'll see how I feel then.
Parts of Australia (and I guess the US, and the UK) can be very dull, and sometimes this may be more about a time of life (with a toddler I found UK village life much more boring than Australia beach suburb life). So you have to ask if it is Australia as a whole, or the Hills district, or your present situation?
Jul 9th 2008, 1:27 pm
#257
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2008
Location: Back in Scotland after two dreadful years in Brisbane.
Posts: 178
Re: One Year back in the UK: My Reflections
[QUOTE=Margaret3;6550356]
Hmm, criticisms of the UK dont go down well at all I see.
Auntie Wolf
Healthcare in the US may be a disaster but over here IT IS NOT FREE. We pay our weekly contributions and if you do get sick that fact that you have paid all your life means nothing if they decide your treatment is too costly. Over here they will deny you treatment and let you die just as they do there.
Here here Margaret,
I feel the same passion about the NHS,as far as i'm concerned it's the jewel of the crown in Britain.
Too many winging people in the UK think it's lacklustre when really it's one of the best services in the world.
I'm also Scottish and my family and I are returning soon,and i can't wait,when are you returning?
I was a nurse in scotland from age 17 (when i started my training ) until age 43 and never witnessed this, yes i read about it , but never witnessed it , i witnessed consultants moving heaven and earth to get patients treatment.
I am now 44 and have been nursing in aus for a year (public and private), and both of their systems look like a disaster to me, as i have said before it is one (of many) reasons that i hope to return to scotland, to have the security of the nhs,to have the feeling i will be treated as a person with dignity and rights, and if am not , i will have the 'right' to protest about it.
I have heard many disgusting remarks from 'so-called' professionals about the public system and the patients who use it here in aus, some (not all), treat the patients like second class or even third class citizens coz the poor buggers dont have private health care. If people are usuing the public system here, it is the consensus of opinion (by public, patients, politicians and professionals) that they dont complain and should be grateful to get treatment. As a family we also dont have private health cover, its just too damn expensive, so if any of us gets ill , how will we be treated here??........................... like shit probably!!, as i imagine we would also be in the states.
disclaimer.............i have not read all the thread, lol, i will later , but i feel very, very , passionately about the nhs.
Auntie Wolf
Healthcare in the US may be a disaster but over here IT IS NOT FREE. We pay our weekly contributions and if you do get sick that fact that you have paid all your life means nothing if they decide your treatment is too costly. Over here they will deny you treatment and let you die just as they do there.
Here here Margaret,
I feel the same passion about the NHS,as far as i'm concerned it's the jewel of the crown in Britain.
Too many winging people in the UK think it's lacklustre when really it's one of the best services in the world.
I'm also Scottish and my family and I are returning soon,and i can't wait,when are you returning?
I was a nurse in scotland from age 17 (when i started my training ) until age 43 and never witnessed this, yes i read about it , but never witnessed it , i witnessed consultants moving heaven and earth to get patients treatment.
I am now 44 and have been nursing in aus for a year (public and private), and both of their systems look like a disaster to me, as i have said before it is one (of many) reasons that i hope to return to scotland, to have the security of the nhs,to have the feeling i will be treated as a person with dignity and rights, and if am not , i will have the 'right' to protest about it.
I have heard many disgusting remarks from 'so-called' professionals about the public system and the patients who use it here in aus, some (not all), treat the patients like second class or even third class citizens coz the poor buggers dont have private health care. If people are usuing the public system here, it is the consensus of opinion (by public, patients, politicians and professionals) that they dont complain and should be grateful to get treatment. As a family we also dont have private health cover, its just too damn expensive, so if any of us gets ill , how will we be treated here??........................... like shit probably!!, as i imagine we would also be in the states.
disclaimer.............i have not read all the thread, lol, i will later , but i feel very, very , passionately about the nhs.
Jul 10th 2008, 8:38 am
#258
Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 8
Re: One Year back in the UK: My Reflections
Tax in the UK is actually low.
Jul 11th 2008, 10:30 am
#259
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Baltimore, USA
Posts: 526
Re: One Year back in the UK: My Reflections
WOW! I have just spent the last hour reading this thread. Some posters have very passionate opinions! I have been on BE for a long while and I love this forum. I am in the UK at the moment and have been here for two months. I go back to the US in August. I want to come back to the UK so much, I detest where I live in the US and I do not want to grow old there or really be there at all (40 now!). I have posted many times about moving home. However, I have just been accepted into a Phd program in NYC in 2009!! Good news because I have wanted to do a Phd for many years. However, that's another 4 years or so. Once I have that though, I think it would be easier to get a job here (I've had a look around while I have been here and it is hard to get a job of equal status for me or one that would let me rent somewhere nice). UGH! Part of me just wants to go back in August, put my house on the market and come HOME. But I don't want to highjack this thread! I do agree with many comments made by the OP, but the UK is home and nowhere is perfect. What I like is the closeness of Paris, Madrid, Rome etc, the culture, I went to the theatre the other night, saw an excellent show all for 8 pounds! The nightlife in Manchester is great and I have met many interesting people while being here. Just some thoughts.
