What in the name of the wee man do we pay taxes for?

I am beyond pee'd off with the so called public services in this country! Not only are our roads generally awful, but the NHS appears to be shot to bits whilst private companies are making huge profits from giving us less and less whilst charging us more and more!

A few weeks back, my local tip started charging for disposal of certain types of waste - one of which was soil and other non compostable garden waste. Residents are allowed two bin bag size sacks free per day (and no, you can't carry forward the days when you don't visit), and everything else is chargeable. The tip is now not operated by the council, but a private company who clearly weren't making enough profits.

Then, we get notification that our streetlights will be going off from midnight until 5am as of February - they already dim to less than half brightness at 10pm every night! The lighting in our area was transferred into the ownership of a private company a couple of years ago on a 25 year contract, so again profits must not be enough for them.

Last weekend, my lovely mum (in her 60's, and already disabled) fell downstairs whilst visiting a family member about 100 miles from her home, and broke her ankle. She was taken to the local hospital who were very good, but declined to fit a cast - - apparently, the process nowadays is to fit a "moon boot" which supports the break and allows swelling to reduce - fair enough. She was told that she would have to speak to her GP when she got back home and they would arrange for an appointment to have a cast fitted in a couple of days. Oh, and they don't give out crutches nowadays either? Her neighbours kindly came and rescued her and her car and took her home the following day, and then on the Monday she called her GP surgery as instructed. The GP arranged some pain relief for her, and said that someone would be in touch regarding the appointment to fit the cast. After a few more calls through the week, an appointment was finally given - NEXT Wednesday! Almost TWO weeks after the initial break!!

Then, I went to my GP on Tuesday for my routine check up. We had received letters telling us that the surgery was shutting early next year and we would have to find another surgery - the NHS Trust only stated that they couldn't simply renew the contract (another private company working as a contractor), and had to review things before its renewal; yeah, shutting a very busy surgery is exactly the right thing to do - NOT!

Speaking to my GP, I discovered that she had resigned and was only going to work on a locum basis from then on in as she was completely disillusioned by the whole thing and had no desire to be tied to a contract - worse still, this wouldn't be in my area, so I can't even change to another surgery she works at.

Whilst there, I gave her a referral letter from my optician regarding my left eye; about ten years ago, my left eye started to droop and progressively since, I have developed a droopy eyelid and a squint. The optician had made the recommendation that the cause be checked, and stated that 'the patient would be interested in surgery for cosmetic reasons' - - utter rubbish! With a mug as ugly as mine, no amount of cosmetic surgery would make it look any better! I am only concerned about my eyesight and the fact that my left eye is all but useless to me the way it is - not least the fact that I am a PCV holder which requires that my eyesight be spot on.

My GP said she would put the referral through, but was doubtful if it would go anywhere as it was unlikely that the NHS would fund surgery for cosmetic reasons. I told her again that I didn't give two hoots about the cosmetic side of things, but more my useless, squint left eye which I never had all through childhood until it began ten or so years ago. She remained firmly of the mind that even so, surgery would be unlikely to be funded by the NHS.

Now, if I suddenly decided that I shouldn't have been born with a willy and wanted to change (I am already half way toward having the breasts I suppose...... ), then that that would be undertaken on the NHS. If I chose to go and climb a mountain, fall and break my pelvis, then I would be rescued by helicopter and paramedics and have the repairs done all funded by the public purse - - yet, a physical health issue which has the significant potential to impact on my ability to work in years to come is classed as cosmetic, non-essential and won't be done on the NHS???? What the fffff......

And don't even get me started on bloody water companies!

 

Affinity Water - spelt with a capital F

 

Tin foil hats can be arranged.......

 

Thanks @"M" - I don't need the breast enlargements, but thanks for the offer; been a long time since a lady offered me her breasts.......

I was really, really narked when I left the GP to be honest. Despite being on a barrage of tablets for the past three or so years, I STILL do not have a full and proper diagnosis to my overall condition, and I am entirely convinced that the eye problem is part and parcel of it. But, the doctor seemed completely fixed on the 'cosmetic surgery' angle simply because that was on the last line of the referral from the optician, and was not in the least bit bothered as to why quarter of my face was going droopy or why I now have one eye going out shopping while the other one comes back with the change!

I am also raging about my mum too - I am hundreds of miles away, so cannot do anything practical to help, so I think that only adds to my frustration; but seriously, nearly two weeks to get a cast on a broken ankle?? What makes it worse is that she recently had to go through the process of reassessment for her Motability - she was dreading losing her car and the wee bit of independence she has, but in the end the assessor decided that she was a lot WORSE than the initial assessment and that she should be on the higher level! She can barely get about on a good day!

All of this is part of the reason that I do not have a private pension - - - absolutely no point for me.

 

I must admit that I thought things were pretty organised in Sweden @Sandy Ground - I take it that things there are similar to the UK then?

 

@fat controller Go to Moorfields (I'm doing that tomorrow) and they will see you in A&E. They're open 24/7 but if you need immediate treatment then don't go late at night or the weekend as some departments aren't open then.

I went to my optician during the week, she was excellent, and said that I'm OK at the moment but if I get any worse I should go to our local A&E immediately as they have an ophthalmic dept. As our local hospital is in 'special measures' I'm not sure that I would want to go there in an emergency.

So I phoned Moorfields and they said to come any time and if there was any danger they would deal with it straight away.

"You can also contact Moorfields Direct, our nurse-led telephone helpline, on 020 7566 2345 for general information and advice about eye conditions and treatments. The helpline is open from 9am to 9pm, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, and is staffed by experienced ophthalmic-trained nurses. At busy times, the nurses might not be able to answer your call straight away - please bear with us and call back a little later if this happens."

 

Unfortunately, that doesn't make you feel any better when everything is going wrong for you!