spouse of scouse

Quite correct Chris, there are some people in Oz who take nationalism too far. Have to say though, plenty of Brits wave flags too And why not?

You can be proud of your country without having to 'bolster' that pride by negative references to other countries, ya know

chris955

Oh of course the Brits will wave flags and we do see displays of patriotism, thankfully it isnt OTT as we see in America and Australia. I am all for patriotism just not keen on nationalism.

Yes I agree, I think my time in Australia taught me some bad habits

spouse of scouse

You're impossible!

By the way, I may have got patriotism and nationalism mixed up

chris955

I like to think so

Yes I think you did.

London1947

I am a lovely person or so I have been told lol. I originally came back to the UK in May 2011 hoping to get a fresh start after a divorce and married nearly 30 years. It cost me a lot not just emotionally. So I thought I would go home to the UK and it's been a shock and continues to be a shock. This is not my home country that I left in 1982.

John

Ps If I was to tell you the whole story you would need some tissues handy.

deepcpearl

My feelings exactly. I picked up in another thread that you're in Devon -- that's a beautiful part of the world. There are others who have returned to Devon -- how about arranging some meet-ups?

LostBrit99

I am going back home to Devon too, if I can find a house to rent with my very little dogs and two kids lol

London1947

Send a private message with more info.

deepcpearl

As much as I would love to arrange a meet-up back in the UK, I'm not there yet! My return is, like many others on here, waiting on a house sale in Canada.

But what about you, John, arranging a meet-up with some fellow returnees?

DebzinUS

I have been playing with the idea of moving back to the UK for some time now. I was given good advice (Dunroving) along the lines of go back for a while and see how it is when you are not a tourist. I did exactly that in May of this year, when my dad became ill. I have just returned to the US after three months in England. The UK is not the same place I left in 1984, but I didn't expect it to be the same. It is very expensive in the SE. As others have already said, it seems like many have a difficult time just making ends meet. The biggest shock for me however, was the NHS. I have always been a staunch supporter of the NHS, but having witnessed the care my father received, and later a family friend, my only concern returning to the UK at this time would be the NHS. My three months home has given me a lot to think about.

Bnet36

DebzinUS I understand that this is a personal journey depending on your situation. If the NHS is the only thing holding you back consider private insurance in the UK. Of course NHS is also a post code lottery - some areas are better than others. I feel like everywhere is expensive most of the middle class in the US are living pay cheque to pay cheque (all be it in big cars and big houses). With little or no opportunity to travel or take any time off work. Just my 2 cents … good luck with your decision

cyrian

If you move from BFE to SE England then it will seem very expensive.
Look elsewhere.
Other areas can be lots cheaper.
The NHS is a huge organisation and it can indeed be a lottery where you stay and what services you require.
If you still have a NI number then you will be treated for free.
You can go see your GP (although you may need to wait days+ for an appointment) for free.
You will pay about $12 for each prescription item (free in Wales and Scotland) although 80% of the population are exempt from the charge.
The most you need to pay for prescriptions in any 12 months is ~ $160.
If you need a non-urgent operation then you will need to wait. There are new targets that each hospital has to meet regarding waiting times.
Don't get taken into hospital in August - that is when all the new doctors start - bad news.
Private health cover in the UK covers certain consultations and subsequent medical intervention but it will exclude any current conditions and it gets VERY expensive as you get older. For example you would not be covered for a private consultation for a cold etc.
The NHS provides certain additional services e.g. Regular DIY bowel cancer screening service where you test yourself at home and send off the samples for analysis; regular (not DIY) cervical screening and mammogram screening.
In addition, each GP has targets to meet for their patients regarding blood-pressure control and cholesterol control and diabetes control.
What the NHS does well is usually very good but other areas are not so good and need improvement.
Good luck with your decision

old.sparkles

Not sure on that. If you know in advance that you will need a lot of prescriptions, you can pay the pre-paid prescription charge. Single prescriptions are £8.05, a three month PPC is £29.10 and a 12 month PPC is £104.00

80% exempt from prescription charge? - source?

DebzinUS

Bnet, I agree. I think the NHS is okay for the run of the mill, day to day health care needs. I think where it seems to fail miserably is when someone becomes ill with a life threatening illness.

My dad died in June at home. The care he received in the hospital setting before he was discharged home was nothing short of appalling. There was no coordination of care. He was not involved in any way in the decision making process, including whether he should be resuscitated in the event of a cardiac/respiratory arrest. He was discharged home with district nurses, palliative care and a GP who was clueless. The district nurses continued to show up days after he had died. I had to start a stat line on my own father and administer morphine as the nursing staff told me they couldn't guarantee that they could come to the house when he needed a dose. The district nurses literally dumped the supplies on the door step along with a prescription for Morphine and Versed. Not one person asked, or even seemed to care, if I was actually qualified to administer these drugs. I am an RN, but they didn't know that. maybe that's my problem, I can recognize sub standard care when I see it.

The second case I am also concerned about involves a 75 yr old lady who was diagnosed with stage IV Melanoma about 9 weeks ago. Its pretty well accepted that Melanoma is a very aggressive cancer. As of today she has yet to see anyone to discuss her treatment options. In fact, she is not being treated at all. Is this because she already has mets to the liver and lung, and the prognosis is poor, or is it because of her age? Who knows? No one is talking to her, just promising to set her up with an appt as "soon as possible" I believe she will die waiting for that appointment.

I realize that these are anecdotal examples, and that the NHS has many success stories. But these two people are/were important to me. The NHS has failed them both on so many levels. Sorry for the rant!

DebzinUS

Thanks, Cyrian. I am pretty healthy, I don't have any chronic illnesses. I just want to stay as healthy as possible, and have some peace of mind that if something did come up, I would be treated with some level of competence.