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Who hates the NHS

(294 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Sat 01-Jul-23 21:08:03

According to Kuenssberg the British have a love/hate relationship with the NHS.

I would argue that it probably the most beloved of all our public services.

It saved my life and my husbands.

MaizieD Sat 01-Jul-23 21:15:52

I don't know about hate, but there are always plenty of people ready to to criticise and moan about it. And ready to suggest that it's the fault of the state funded model. They seem as though they're itching to get rid of it.

Gillycats Sat 01-Jul-23 21:28:10

I think that if you’re lucky enough to have had good experiences then of course you’ll love it. But I fully understand how those failed by it have a very negative view. Especially when it’s down to incompetence. It’s still too much of a lottery for my liking.

kittylester Sat 01-Jul-23 21:32:28

Saved my life too. And the lives of my brother, dh's brother, my friend - all recently.

There are problems with it but we only hear about the bad bits not the good.

Ziplok Sat 01-Jul-23 21:35:56

No, I don’t hate it. However, I do wish the various departments worked more closely together, co-ordinated and applied common sense. My DH has an appointment mid July for a scan which his consultant is meant to discuss it’s result with him. The consultants appointment is in the morning, the scan is in the afternoon - on the same day! Needless to say, DH will be contacting the hospital on Monday to get this sorted out, but honestly, talk about the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing…

lixy Sat 01-Jul-23 21:44:00

I'm with ziplock - do hate the lack of co-ordination that wastes so much time and money.
Both our hospitals locally are joined as part of the same trust but a consultant at one of them can't get access to blood test results from the other, even though GP's have access to both - totally crazy.

However I have a huge respect for anyone who works in the NHS system, and greatly appreciate care being free at the point of access.

Galaxy Sat 01-Jul-23 21:46:33

It saved my childs life but I suspect that it also risked his life at birth. I dont really think the love or hate thing is at all helpful, but that applies to the veneration as well as the moaning.

BlueBelle Sat 01-Jul-23 22:02:29

I ve always loved it and I don’t know anybody who doesn’t

Doodledog Sat 01-Jul-23 22:03:10

I think that people very much value the NHS, and am not keen on the idea that any criticism is taken as ingratitude or 'hate'.

There is no reason why people shouldn't be able to complain if they can't get appointments, or if the systems mean that those responsible for their care are not able to talk to one another. Are we supposed to be grateful for what we are given and suffer in silence? It's not free - most of us have paid for it for years, and if the tax/NI we've paid is not enough then we should have been asked for more.

ronib Sat 01-Jul-23 22:03:15

The Nhs didn’t save the life of my brother but then not everyone can be saved. I don’t hate them as a consequence. Love/hate doesn’t really apply. More like exasperation when the going gets tough.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 01-Jul-23 22:08:51

The NHS has looked after me all my life with various conditions but almost cost my son his life during an unnecessarily difficult birth.

MayBee70 Sat 01-Jul-23 22:10:16

So what happened to all of the clapping then confused.

MaizieD Sat 01-Jul-23 22:14:42

I think that people very much value the NHS, and am not keen on the idea that any criticism is taken as ingratitude or 'hate'.

It does feel like it when posters bring up failings which happened years ago and which have been dealt with.

maddyone Sat 01-Jul-23 22:16:02

I have enormous respect and yes, I think a certain kind of love for our NHS. It has saved my life on several occasions, at least twice as a child, and more recently twice too. I’m disappointed that it is being run into the ground but hopeful of a more optimistic future. I would hate to go to an insurance system such as America has, but wouldn’t object to some more small charges being brought in. However I feel that wouldn’t work because there would be so many exemptions that little revenue would be raised.

Like Maizie I hate to hear people moaning about the NHS. Despite being aware of the shortfalls, especially at the moment, I wouldn’t complain about it. People unfortunately take it for granted and I feel that no one should do that. We should be grateful for all it offers us.

Casdon Sat 01-Jul-23 22:16:11

People are fallible the world over, and staff working in the NHS are too. When it’s our life, or the life of one of our family it’s very difficult to accept that people make mistakes. I think that is the core of the love/hate relationship.

crazyH Sat 01-Jul-23 22:21:21

We have to be grateful for our NHS. Which Health Service on earth gives you treatment completely FOC? Which Health service will pay for taxis, to ferry you to and from hospital appointments , or for Covid vaccinations (my neighbour was offered a taxi service)? I can go on and on. We are the envy of the world .

Hetty58 Sat 01-Jul-23 22:45:47

crazyH, envy of the world? Maybe in the past but not now it's run down to a skeleton service. I view the NHS similarly to the police. I don't like them - at all - but it's handy that they are available in an emergency.

Kate1949 Sat 01-Jul-23 23:02:15

Handy? Like many posters above they saved my husband's life, my brother's life. They tried their hardest to save my nephew, my sister-in-law. They are having problems but I would never criticise them.

Hetty58 Sat 01-Jul-23 23:04:17

Kate1949, why not? It's a service that we pay for, after all. Why do people think that we have to be grateful

Hetty58 Sat 01-Jul-23 23:07:36

They misdiagnosed my late father, late husband - and late aunt. They put my life in danger, twice. It's no wonder I have no trust in them.

Wyllow3 Sat 01-Jul-23 23:15:17

Casdon

People are fallible the world over, and staff working in the NHS are too. When it’s our life, or the life of one of our family it’s very difficult to accept that people make mistakes. I think that is the core of the love/hate relationship.

Indeed.

Doctors are not infallible. We wish they were. There can be bad mistakes or sometimes mistakes or inefficiency due to lack of resourcing. There can be very good or not so good practitioners.

It's right to complain ignore that things can be made better, draw attention to things tha need not have gone wrong, but imo there isn't enough praise and gratitude to match. How many of us have so much to be thankful for.

Kate1949 Sat 01-Jul-23 23:17:38

Sorry to hear of your experiences Hetty. We have only had positive experiences of the NHS and have people here that we wouldn't have without them. Where else can we turn when lives are in the balance?

Callistemon21 Sat 01-Jul-23 23:20:58

Hetty58

Kate1949, why not? It's a service that we pay for, after all. Why do people think that we have to be grateful

Yes, we do pay.

We're grateful to many of the caring staff but not all are kind, caring and infallible as they are human beings with faults like the rest of us.

Imo we should pay more and then we could expect a world-class service.

henetha Sat 01-Jul-23 23:23:22

The NHS isn't perfect but it's darned good. We take for granted that we can have everything from babies being born to life saving surgery and it's free.
It needs more investment, more staff, and a good shake up, but we are still lucky to have it.

Kate1949 Sat 01-Jul-23 23:29:29

And from a close relative who works there, less waste, expensive conferences with lunches, layers of management etc.