Mamatukwas:
So after many years of being on this thread, NO ONE! Not a single person, knows Justwise personally and can come and tell us if he’s okay? We should be ashamed of ourselves

I find myself randomly hoping he’s okay. He’s never disappeared this long before.

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of an anonymous forum. If it was twitter/Facebook /IG etc….its very likely a family member or friend would have given us an update in the event something terrible has happened (God forbid). A bit unsettling to think about. It is well.

Advision:


switching should be possible but I think you have to apply from outside the country

Ty

Zahra29:


You cannot switch from a visitors visa

Much appreciated

Hi all, please anyone know if it’s possible for someone on a visitors visa can switch to a dependent visa. So scenario being:
- the person had a 2yr UK visitor visa,
- got married in Nigeria to a Nigerian with skilled worker visa,
then travelled to UK on their own with visitors visa.
But rather than return to Nigeria and apply for dependent visa, they’ll like to switch while in the Uk. I’ve google and I’m seeing conflicting results. Clarity needed. Thanks

RalphJean:
Hello good people.
Anyone got any plug for the Fury vs Usyk Bicing match tonight?
Please…

Go on Twitter and type “ fury uysk live” in the search bar. Applies for all football games as well. Thank me later

Hi all, please does speeding ticket/points impact ILR application? Looks like 3 points are coming someone’s way , Note, speed awareness course already done in last 2yrs.

Santa2:
Passed my driving Test today 1st attempt. ….
I did 24 sessions in total , across three tutors till I found the one that was good, one naija driving tutor was the absolute worst. He just kept shouting on top my head and derailing my confidence. When I crunched the numbers , I spent £1040 in total for sessions and using tutors car for the test.

Congratulations. Any minors?

staymore:


Yes, a lot that can not be said here.

I believe you. I always thought insiders were on Nairaland or twitter

staymore:


Thank you for this piece, you're very analytical. Wike thought Fubara was so weak that no matter how he pushes him nothing will happen. Unknowingly to him there is a limit to every man's patience.

At the beginning of the fracas when Wike insulted Fabura's wife and told her not to come close to Brick House, Odili wade in to resolve the issues but Wike hit his hands on Odili's table and vowed that he must deal with Fubara no matter who begs him, it was few days later the Assembly instituted an impeachment proceedings against the gov, he had to fight back and that's where we are today.

Wow! Really? Did it get this personal? I thought it was just the 25 billion naira remittance he refused…didn’t know insults were involved

Wike is your typical African sit-tight leader. He wants to continue as Rivers Governor by proxy. How can a man single-handedly pick (incl. buying party nomination forms):

- Gov
- Deputy Gov
- majority of his excos (incl. all juicy portfolios)
- Senators
- HOR
- HOA
- LGA chairmen

Why then have a new governor? Just to answer in name only.

Are you God??
My friend, will you come off it! This is even worse than when Rochas wanted to hand over to his in-law in Imo state. So glad Wike’s being humbled. Well good lesson for other politicians: Let no man try to play God, it never ends well.

Goodenoch:


1. Even when US roles come with insurance, people often are unable to still use it because the co-pays are too high.

"Just over half of working-age Americans say they sometimes can't afford health care, according to The Commonwealth Fund. About 4 in 10 workers with employer-sponsored insurance or who are on Medicaid say they have difficulty paying, while that rises to about 6 in 10 for people who buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces, the study found." Source: Paying for It: How Health Care Costs and Medical Debt Are Making Americans Sicker and Poorer - https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/surveys/2023/oct/paying-for-it-costs-debt-americans-sicker-poorer-2023-affordability-survey.

2. The word that needs to be in capitals is 'YOU', because it boils down to personal/family preferences. The idea that people are in the UK because they have no choice is funny. As others have said, the fact is that many people have the choice but have run the numbers/life priorities and have decided that it's better.

Personally, my experience with the NHS has been exceptional across the multiple places I've stayed, both in the GP and A & E contexts, so that has informed my perspective. That being said, things are clearly quite bad in many places (I didn't even know how bad before some of the links shared here), so urgent action is needed. Dismissing it as a 'hot mess' or 'totally failed' remains objectively absurd though, in my view.

I’m happy to draw a line on this matter so we don’t keep going on and on. I hear you, your problem with my anecdote was the language or semantics, I take it back. Instead of “hot mess” or “totally failed” I should have used milder language. Duly noted. Just know that narratives from people like me, who’ve been on the short end of the stick is what drove those journalists to write those articles. I’ve seen all sorts of disturbing stuff:
- WhatsApp groups advising people to exaggerate and act drama in waiting rooms to get attention,
- Lying to 111 staff that the patient is not breathing so ambulance can be sent asap
- Patients forced to pull out their own teeth at home because they cannot access NHS dentist

In my typical Nigerian experience, I never expected this in UK healthcare system. So pardon me for being disappointed for receiving sub-optimal service and others are devising ways to jump up the queue. If it happened in a Nigerian general hospital, I won’t be shocked. I’ve been to UCH, Ibadan and know how crap it is. But it’s the almighty UK NHS we are talking about here. So I get it, different personal experiences, but I was shocked it could be that bad for me. Now more people know, and are better prepared. Hopefully things change for the better. Good luck all🙏🏾

Zahra29:


Exactly, which is why I keep saying to each their own.

Some people will experience better healthcare/life in Nigeria or the US, and some people have experienced and will experience great healthcare in the UK both on the NHS or privately.

Do what works for you. It's the constant complaining and comparing that irks me. No one is saying the NHS is perfect - far from it- but to say it has completely failed is ridiculous.

If people think they are better off in the US or that Nigeria's healthcare is the new Eldorado, then bon voyage. Why stay back and constantly complain?

Rant over 😊

Just remember to keep the same energy if you dare moan about anything in this UK.

Ps - I see the softening of your tone from the derogatory comments about Nigerian healthcare system that was working for some before coming to “El dorado”. I still maintain the NHS failed me and is still failing so many others. I can only speak on my experience and not for the entire system. It is my hope that these criticisms would drive the much needed reforms.

kwakudtraveller:

Immediately I saw your post, I knew it was based on a bad personal experience. I hope that gentleman who said your case was probably not serious backtracks.

I actually feel like I had better healthcare in Nigeria. I felt pampered and I was treated better with my private health insurance. Here even with private health insurance, the doctors are sometimes dismissive. I conduct tests, they call and rush through the results and they prescribe drugs without sharing information as to where I should pick them up. So many issues that I’ve learned to just live with.

I’m learning to just exist with my health issues and when I visit Lagos, I’ll do a thorough health check.

God bless you sir and preserve our lives 🙏🏾 At least, I know I’m not running mad. Let’s not even discuss maternity care and the damning report that came out yesterday. It is well. God will keep us all.

Zahra29:


That's certainly not the case anywhere I've seen or heard in the UK, but you're entitled to think what you think.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13334435/amp/Number-cancer-patients-waiting-cancer-treatment.html

Google is your friend, my good friend 😊

kwakudtraveller:

Bro, I truly empathise with you. Having to wait that long to be treated must have really upset you, and rightfully so, and I know that Africans typically do not go to the hospital unless they believe that it’s a serious issue.  

It was on this same thread that I read about someone having gastric cancer, and they kept telling them to go home because they didn’t conduct proper checks until it was too late, and they ended up in hospice. 

A friend had partial stroke and he was seen almost immediately by the nurses but he still had to wait close to 4 hours to be seen by a doctor. How is that person supposed to yell and demand that he be attended to immediately by a Doctor? When even the Doctor is probably exhausted from seeing hundreds of people in a short amount of time.

I think, in general, the NHS has a lot of misplaced priorities. I see them hiring for a lot of mid-level roles that they do not need, and a lot of these managerial staff have duplicate roles. 

They need more skilled medical staff with better pay and not some of these new roles that have yet to add any value to the NHS. A major audit needs to be done at each trust so they can get their shit together.

Thank you for your understanding and empathetic comment. Left to others, we should wait hours on end without saying pim, even though it’s a huge culture shock for us (similar to paying for ambulance service in the USA). Funny enough, after the review/triage, I was admitted and referred. And the situation was “so serious” the doctors refused me going home without signing waivers. Then an emergency surgery was scheduled. That’s to say, my case wasn’t minor as some are inferring with sprained ankle etc. It was a serious and urgent medical situation.So many horror stories abound, I guess I should count myself lucky.

To those comparing with Nigerian healthcare, two truths can co-exist. I personally know people who’ve grown tired of waiting for the NHS and found alternatives, either private care or abroad, from dental care to fertility treatments. If that’s not a failing system, I don’t know what is.

And yes, there’s a lot of waste and inefficiency in the process. So many people running around, pushing paper, wasting time. The system is currently failing a lot of people, and as some immigrants are now discovering…all that glitters is not gold. The NHS isn’t the el dorado some people think it is. Same way the Nigerian healthcare system is not reduced to Mikano generator breaking down during surgery or 3rd highest maternal death etc.

Viruses:


A&E is not a first come first serve place. Sometimes your cases are better handled by 111 or walk-in center. Fortunately, the HCP after accessing you knows what level of emergency your case is.

I'm not trying to downplay your case, but ask yourself this; when you arrived by 2pm, were you left unattended till 10pm or it was after the initial assessment that you started waiting?

Also stop comparing NHS with other countries' private health sector, compare with their public sector too.

Just to answer your question, yes nothing was done from 2pm to 10pm. All I was given was a form, I filled it and placed it back in stack of other forms. God save you, if you can’t articulate your issue properly on paper.

I’m not a medical professional, but common sense told me that my case, alongside others in serious condition should have been attended to in less than 8 to 10 hrs it took. This was before I saw the article from Daily mail about the 250 needless deaths A WEEK! Let that sink in. That’s some 3rd world stats.

Lastly, I know 100% for a fact, I would have received better care from my medical provider in Nigeria. I was employed by a company that offered me one of the best HMO cover. Didn’t have to pay shi shi out of pocket, and that’s the point jedisco makes about US healthcare. In the UK, you’re working, heavily taxed and now you guys are saying I should add private insurance on top. Even that will not save you in an emergency from “warzone” like care. Read Piers Morgan’s mother’s story. I rest my case.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/piers-morgan-slams-degrading-health-32048187.amp

Goodenoch:


If you spent 2PM to 10PM waiting for medical assistance in an A & E and you're still alive to write about it today, it proves the point that your case wasn't an emergency, and that the HCPs were right to prioritise other patients over you following their triage.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13258925/amp/casualty-waits-NHS-dire-deaths-study.html

“It comes after a shocking study today suggested dire waits in A&E for hospital beds caused more than 250 needless deaths a week last year, with patients forced to wait in crowded rooms and corridors or on trolleys.”

I guess it wasn’t an emergency for the 250 people A WEEK that died needlessly last year. Some comments are so careless. Because nothing happened to me, the system is perfect. I hear you.

Lexusgs430:



What he is failing to comprehend is, the UK health sector also got a tier system (capitalist society)....... Why would private health care services/insurance be available, if the NHS was FANTASTIC.......😁🤣

Not true sir. I have experienced the NHS 15yrs ago, it wasn’t like this, hence reason for the proliferation of private insurance etc. And reason the govt of the day is getting hammered. But if they read all your comments, they would be very happy with the NHS and decide to do nothing a.k.a. “the plan is working”. Call a spade a spade, not a gardening tool. Something radical needs to happen to save the people dying needlessly from waiting room delays.

EJIOGBENIMI:


NHS is not perfect but it is not a 'hot mess'. Someone had already explained patients flow in the ED.
The resources are limited, so, those with life threatening problems get seen first. That is called justice in medical ethics.
I am an acute medicine registrar in the NHS. I get bleeped from ED from time to time. I assess the situation there and then and I don't delay patient's care. No reasonable doctor will do this as there are systems to keep track of things. I have been involved is 2 national benchmarking audits. SAMBA audit, June 2023 and February 2024.
I am not aware of any trust where patients are kept waiting for over 12 hours without getting any form of care or plan in place.
Yes, the NHS needs funding to improve its services. It's a blessing to the UK.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13258925/amp/casualty-waits-NHS-dire-deaths-study.html


Worsening A&E waits mean a quarter of patients seeking emergency care now face 12-hour delays at England's busiest hospitals.

It comes after a shocking study today suggested dire waits in A&E for hospital beds caused more than 250 needless deaths a week last year, with patients forced to wait in crowded rooms and corridors or on trolleys.

Lexusgs430:


You're comparing strawberries with agbalumo........

Those returning to Nigeria for Medicare, do they end up in the public health service sector or private sector.......😁

That’s not the point sir! I don’t care about public or private system. What was available to me in Nigeria vs what is available to me now? This was what led to the debate on Twitter on healthcare systems. Lord knows, where I will want to be if I need dental care for example. Or the kid I saw that sprained his ankle in school and was in A&E for hours on end. Even paracetamol they didn’t give this boy. Almighty “triage” didn’t prioritize the schoolboy even with the swollen leg for many hours. I know where I’ll rather be if I was the injured school boy.

Zahra29:


You're perfectly entitled to your opinion and fortunately you have a Nigerian passport and can fly over there to enjoy the premium health services on offer whenever the NHS fails to impress you. Lucky you.

It’s not just my opinion, these are cold hard facts. It’s not failure to impress me, its inability to access basic medical care because your case is “not bad” enough. Let’s call a spade a spade. If this was happening in Naija or another developing country, we will call it out and not hide our head in the sands. Part of the reason I’m complaining is because I knew what it was (and what it can potentially be). I have personally spent time in A&E from 2pm to 10pm. They’re reports on waiting times across NHS trusts and the trend is bad, very bad. Piers Morgan even called out Rishi Sunak during his last interview with him. Why can’t we do the same? It’s a mess, makes no sense to defend the indefensible because “Naija healthcare system is bad”. It’s not a competition of what’s better than Naija, if that’s the case, then Rwanda or other African countries are better. My point, which is what the OP was saying is have your backup plan if you think NHS is all that, God forbid you’ll need them and they fail you. Then you’ll either go private or book a flight abroad. Let’s not even talk about dental care. SMH

Zahra29:


You didn't address the questions in my earlier post, but in any case everyone is entitled to their view.

While I agree that the system needs reform, and urgently in some areas, I don't agree that it has "totally failed". You compare the NHS to Nigeria that has the 3rd highest maternal death ratio in the world (behind Chad and Sudan)..... anyways everyone is entitled to their own opinion lol

I don’t care about the general statistics or trends. I’m telling you my lived experience. People are literally going to Naija for their Medicare needs but hey, Nigeria has 3rd highest maternal death ratio. Who cares? It’s akin to someone in London telling you about the risk of knife/violent crime and feeling safer in certain parts of Nigeria (e.g Lekki), and you throw back stats that bandits and unknown gunmen are in Nigeria. That’s not the point. Just saying NHS is a hot mess for a so called first world country. Some medicare is actually better in Nigeria atm, and that’s a fact!

Zahra29:


The bolded is one of the reasons the Tories will lose the election - because many people remember how much better the NHS was 15/20 years ago before the Tories came in and started defunding public services.

One of Labour's key pledges is to improve/transform the NHS ,including waiting lists, so no-one is saying we settle for things remaining as they are.

Cases are usually triaged and urgent/life threatening cases (and minors) are not left waiting in A&E or on 2 year waiting lists. Anyone here been diagnosed with cancer or diabetes or hepatitis or sickle cell or heart disease etc etc and had to wait 2 years to start treatment?

The NHS isn't perfect, I completely agree, and there is an element of post code lottery that determines the quality of treatment some areas receive, which isn't fair.

However, on the whole it is very good considering the limited resources and increasing pressures it is faced with.

Urgent care to me is different from what it means to you or NHS staff. I’ve seen live examples in A&E: people bloodied and in pain and waiting to be called for 12hrs+. I don’t care what triage system is in place, but that’s simply not good enough as a patient. I have never experienced that in all my years. It’s until you feign like you’re dying before they attend to you, that’s rubbish. Even 111 calls, you need to lie that the person is not breathing to get the urgency you deserve. The system has totally failed in my book. There’s no pussyfooting about it.

Zahra29:


Thank you Mamatukwas..

Even with good insurance, a serious illness like cancer can easily bankrupt an average family, and as many insurance policies are tied to an employer, if someone loses their job e.g. due to a long illness, they and sometimes their family members will no longer have health cover.

Some treatments are not covered by insurance or there is a limit the insurer will pay out. Meanwhile the NHS will never charge- even if an individual is on regular (expensive )treatment and medication for years. Their own drugs cost them more than we pay here - something Trump was mad about and wanted to change. The number of Americans who are envious of our NHS and the health system in Europe >>>

No system is perfect, so for those who love to complain ,I simply encourage them to relocate asap to the US. Less pressure on the NHS lol

Fair point about the US healthcare. However, the NHS can be better and needs to do improve badly. This is not a race to the bottom argument. 12hrs in A&E is embarrassing ! Even with private insurance, some medicare like emergencies are best handled with NHS. No wonder some immigrants be disillusioned by the Medicare in this country compared to private treatment in Naija. Lots of people are travelling to Naija for urgent treatment rather than wait for 2yrs+ on waiting list.

Fubara

Jakumo:
This is by far one of the most viscerally terrifying kidnapping accounts that I have ever read in recent times. For typical law-abiding citizens who have never contemplated harming another human being, it is impossible to visualize the depth of gleeful, sadistic evil that resides in the hearts of career criminals who injure, maim, and kill their victims as a matter of daily routine. This first-hand account of a kidnap ordeal provides a jarring insight that lays bare in stark relief the abject paralyzing horror movie that is Nigeria in 2024.

Surveillance drones are required for deployment by police formations all over the Nigerian federation. With a round-trip mission range of well over ten miles, a used $500 DJI Mavic 2 Pro fitted with a new $200 extra-range battery sold online by Ali Express, could be issued to EVERY police station in the federation, after adequate laptop-based simulator training has been given to the drone operators. With this $700 security investment in all or some of Nigeria's police stations, and with flight batteries charged at a centrally located solar-powered drone battery charging station in each town, the tide can very quickly be turned against the kidnap gangs now proliferating with alarming speed all over the Nigerian federation.

You write excellently well. What’s your secret? Write a book!

eniola1010:
please who can recommend a very strong and effective project management bootcamp here for me.

Yes.

scrum2job.co.uk

The scrum master running it works for a leading auto manufacturer. I know lots of real testimonials from those that went through the programme

Goodenoch:


Not excessive. Some properties have twice that. Developers usually grade the fees upward depending on the price of the house so the larger and more expensive houses in an estate will pay more. 195 is lower than most I’ve seen, personally. It has usually been between 200 and close to 400.

Yes it rises annually in perpetuity, and it can be increased by the management company (the devs usually contract a separate company). Usually your agreement will state that the estate residents can take over management or hand it over to another company after some time but from reports, that’s usually difficult and most states don’t bother because of the hassle.

Thanks

Hi all

Is £195 annual service charge for a new build excessive ? Does it mean it would have to be paid in perpetuity? Is there any developer that doesn’t charge this fee? Thanks

Hi all,

I need urgent advice please. I’m currently renting and the landlord uses an agency. I’ve got a broken bed (wooden slats broke and cannot be fixed DIY),so I reported to the agency 3 days ago and they told the landlord. Agency is now waiting for feedback from landlord to authorize repairs which is taking long. Meanwhile the broken bed means there is nowhere for me to sleep in my room as I’ve got family member in the guest room. I’ve escalated the property manager in agency to the CEO/founder to the point she’s no longer speaking to me via telephone, just via emails only.

Please is there a govt agency, ombudsman or anyone I cannot escalate to? Surely it’s illegal to not act if there’s a broken bed for over 3 days? Where will I sleep? On the floor? I’m arguing that it should be treated like a fire or gas leak etc. so they can send their maintenance engineer. Please help as I need this sorted today so I can sleep normally. Thank you

Good news!
I’m just happy it’s a Nigerian coach, not some foreigner fleecing from our scarce forex!

..