Thewritingnerd:
Yes, there’s a waiting list for even cancer patients. Spanning as long as 44 weeks.

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

kwakudtraveller:

What if they truly need it? Or what if they have a low pain threshold? Have you actually heard of anyone demanding extra care because they paid their IHS fee, or are you basing it on an assumption?

Everyone who attends A&E must truly need it and many would have a low pain threshold. However would you rather a stroke patient or another urgent condition be put on hold to treat someone with a low risk ankle sprain?
As a PP said, it's not first come first served. People need to manage their expectations.

And yes, I'm speaking from experience. I have heard several people discuss on how they have the right to a full MOT on demand because they've paid for the IHS and should use it, and advise how to fake symptoms so they are given the tests. I had to caution that that's not what the NHS is for - it can't cater to everyone who wants a full body check (unless you are in an identified risk group) because they heard so and so dropped dead unexpectedly. That's what private checkups are for.

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.

Completely agree with the bolded. I mentioned in an earlier post that there is a lot of waste in the NHS - bloated managerial and admin workforce and extravagant contracts to mention a few.

I really hope such an audit and the corresponding cutbacks can be implemented.

lavida001:


Nigeria where nepa can take light or mikano breakdown while surgery is ongoing. 😂

Smh...If the healthcare is so great, not sure why every politician or rich man flies abroad for treatment at the slightest ailment.

jedisco:


Attract doctors and nurses to the extent where 52% of new doctors into the system in 2022 were trained abroad and many of the local grads are in turn abroad? Even the NHS leaders agree there is a staffing crises.





Like I stated in my quoted post above, I appreciate the system of care delivery here but also well aware of its wider impact and reasons why its under pressure. Every healthcare system has its drawbacks and one needs to understand these to make improvements.

Not really a crisis because at least there are doctors and nurses from many countries queuing up to work in the NHS. Your concern should be directed at the huge care gaps these professionals are leaving behind in their home countries, where even newly trained doctors and nurses are looking to japa at the earliest opportunity.

I agree with the bolded, but the solution is not to privatise the NHS.

Lexusgs430:


I see you truly love the tories...... 🤣😁

Lol, I support some of their policies such as their viewpoint on gender issues, but anything public spending/NHS and yeh, no love lost there

Lexusgs430:


The common principle of Labour drifting to an environment, where labour is properly rewarded comes to play.........

Any politician/political party that advocates 100% privatisation of the NHS sector........ Would NEVER smell power again, for the foreseeable future .......😂😁

💯, because over 95% of Brits are like "no Bueno" to the US healthcare system (along with their hormone injected beef lol).
Tories tried to privatise by the back door but have never been bold/foolish enough to be transparent with their objectives.

jedisco:


Like I said, the fears are almost always well exaggerated for the most part just like the way many Nigerians back home dread the concept of 'tax' or bills (as they call it) without understanding the system abroad. It's part of British culture to whinge and exaggerate certain issues.
Even some EU nations e.g France pay for care. I had seen a French lady in the past who was elated at having free service and told me at this point back home she'd be pulling out her card. Same also, a co-workers pregnant relative had to be taken into ED while travelling in France and was very happy at how quickly it all went.

The NHS is pushing on today cos its absorbing many doctors and nurses from abroad (at a point even exceeding local grads). There are local and international effects of that. Your free healthcare has far reaching consequences.

Any desirable country will attract doctors and nurses from abroad who are seeking a better life, more money and a superior professional experience and opportunities. The NHS is not unique in this.

You seem to be pushing for the privatisation of the NHS which goes against its ethos and founding principles ,so no thanks. Private healthcare is available for those who choose/are able to pay. The NHS should remain "free" , (and I say this as someone who has gold private healthcare from work that also covers my family) but needs to find ways to become more efficient e.g. slimming down their management force, more conservative contracts etc

Lexusgs430:


So how would I know if my son sustained internal head injuries, from banging his head (that caused massive injuries to his lips and face) ...... By looking through his eyes or rubbing holy oil on his forehead...... 👀😂


Would I forgive myself if my son suffered from internal bleeding, if I refused to insist on the CT head, due to your position above...... I am asking a honest question.......

I'm in support of you advocating for the scan for your child because you can never be too careful with children, I don't see this as a waste of NHS resources.

What I'm not in support of is people demanding full MOT blood tests from their GP just because they paid the IHS or showing up at A&E with a sprained ankle and expecting to be seen immediately :|

jedisco:


It goes both ways and largely depend on the side of the divide they are on.

Reddit is also littered with Tech heads in the UK looking to jump ship and 3x their take home or American companies paying their UK employees less than half of what the pay for similar roles in the US. Also many UK medical students writing American licensing exams and jumping ship or actively planning towards CAN/AUS. Even when comparing attainment of immigrants, the US leads for a reason.

Many Americans in the UK get flustered by the relatively poor pay, high tax and long wait times for healthcare we have become accustomed to.
The social safetynet in the EU/UK is brilliant but for many hardly trumps the capitalist bull the US has become.

Fair enough....I guess the many thousands of American households that have been bankrupted due to healthcare bills or have lost their top paying jobs and accompanying health cover, were not bullish enough

To each their own. I remain grateful for the safetynet in Europe where I don't have to check my bank balance before going to the hospital, but I also have the option to pay for private medical insurance if I want expedited or special treatment.

jedisco:


The fear about the American healthcare system is largely exaggerated. While some nations have a better system, Americans are not dropping dead in the street.

We're talking about a nation that has been at the fore of technological development financial conquest over the last 50 years. Our free Healthcare is paid for via higher taxes + NI.

Yes, many would need insurance in the US but the excess is capped and there are many groups which are exempt.Many middle income and high wage earners would see their take home double for an equivalent role in the US while paying less tax. Housing is relatively cheaper. Many jobs come with health insurance and even if one has to pay out of pocket for a family insurance policy, it manytimes would work out much cheaper than the higher tax paid here. Also, because their ervices are paid for and system flush with funds, services are prompt and manytimes push the boundaries of knowledge.
Europe/UK OTOH is a much better deal for lower income earners as there is a robust safety net.

Both systems have their pros and cons. Reason why many Brits jump at the opportunity of heading to the US. The Australian system seems to be a hybrid between both.

Funny that, there are numerous Reddit threads of Americans who have moved to Europe to access the cheaper healthcare. I don't know m(any) Brits who have moved to the US solely to use their healthcare.

missjekyll:


Sorry to burst this bubble,Zahra . Even cancer now has a waiting list. The NHS you obviously love is not there anymore.

I do believe we can get most of it back. It's the best thing about the UK.

Cancer now has a 2 year waiting list to start treatment? Okay.

I have a very close relative who is receiving pioneering preventative cancer treatment - the drugs alone would cost over £50k out of pocket, not to mention the regular MRI, PET and CT scans. This is a retired lady who doesn't have private insurance, who has received years of cancer treatment and various types of surgeries on the NHS, from world class doctors, and never once had to pay a penny. She is thriving thank God. Similar treatments would have been unaffordable in the US and unavailable in Nigeria because their medical system mostly caters for routine/non complex conditions.

For this and many other reasons, I love the NHS. I know it's not perfect, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement but I agree with you that it represents the best of the UK and I believe it will get better.

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.

Thank you Dr. Well said...

And I'm assuming when you attend to a patient in ED, you don't ask for their medical insurance details or to produce a police report before deciding whether to treat them and what to charge them for the emergency treatment. Which is what happens in certain countries, and yet the NHS is a "total failure".

Jamesclooney:


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 some 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!

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.

Lexusgs430:



So in essence, the party that took your day, cannot promise you night.......... 😊🤣

Lol you and your adages 🙈

We have to keep hope alive innit lol and Sir Keir keeps reassuring us that they are New New Labour (Tony's Labour was only New Labour lol) so let's wait and see...

Strata1716:


Hello everyone, thank you so much for encouraging me to ask for sponsorship and other advise given. I spoke to the HR about sponsorship and I got the email response below, my only question now is what do they mean by “to confirm if we can proceed” does this mean there is still no confirmation on the sponsorship or is this about the timeline . I just blurred out the name of my manager, also does anyone know why it was my manager who had to decide whether or not to sponsor me, is this common practice in the NHS ?

Thank you everyone for all your help.

Babajeje123
Zahra29
giselle237
Dustydee
Lavida001

That's amazing news - congratulations 🎉

I wouldn't worry - I'm sure the confirmation is just a compliance/tick boxing exercise but it sounds like a done deal. The timeline was stated - they will start the sponsorship process soon as your pre-employment checks are complete.

Jamesclooney:


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.

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

Lexusgs430:


Which party setup the NHS with all this expensive unproductive contracts.......

You got it right...... It was labour (under TB).........

Lol Tony also landed us with all these polytechnics turned universities that we're now struggling to support.

Agreed, the NHS definitely needs reform, I saw an article the other day on how much a particular agency charges the NHS for oneagency nurse especially on public holidays. It was something like 2k or more per shift (obviously most of it going to the agency). These and other wastes in the system need to be looked into for the NHS to run more efficiently.

EPEAKS:
NUMBER OF SELF-EMPLOYED

So I currently work for a Company. I also have a self-employed role to lecture/tutor. Now I have an offer to consult for a Law Services firm on a self-employed basis too.

Is there a limit on the number of self-employed roles here?

Please note I am on a Student dependant visa.

I know I have to register separate businesses and pay taxes for additional self-employed roles. Asides that any restriction?

No. As long as you're declaring your income and paying taxes etc, you're good to go.

Jamesclooney:


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 [[b]urgent treatment [/b]rather than wait for 2yrs+ on waiting list.

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.

Mamatukwas:


I’ve experienced both. Healthcare in the US is elite and premium but the billing is also premium. Pray that whatever you do, you never fall seriously ill in the US or require intensive care without insurance. Your own is all over.

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

Thewritingnerd:
So much for “UK has free healthcare” whenever people mention relocating to the US. 💀

Lol, experience is the best teacher as they say...

Would advise anyone dreaming of the US to hurry and relocate in the next few months before Trump gets in and blocks/restricts certain countries again.

ReesheesuKnack:


This, right here is the Giant Elephant in the room.

I thought I was the only one wondering why the OP was not raining brimstone and sulfur on the issuer of the fake CoS.
Probably because the process of acquiring the (fake) CoS get kurukere movement?
What is unsaid is greater than what has been said - on this forum.

I think it was fairly obvious to most, but as the OP has already received the maximum punishment for their actions, probably no use in labouring the point in their case.

Hopefully on reading the OPs account, others that may have been inclined to follow the same route will now course correct.

There are increasing stories of legitimate websites being cloned and people (in the UK even) being tricked into thinking they were acquiring the CoS from a reputable company...but as you've called out - the elephant is that a reputable company would never ask for payment (£000s) for CoS and it should be an instant red flag to anyone who isn't doing kukere.

Goodenoch:


That's not necessarily the only circumstance in which a review would not be viable.

Even if you didn't know the COS was fake, but you got it by paying someone or similar means, there won't be a case.

The burden the OP will have is to show that they legitimately applied for an advertised job, sent in their credentials, did an interview, got an offer, did pre-employment checks etc. before being issued the COS. It would be very easy for OP to prove if they did apply legitimately because there'd be an email trail.

You have raised important points, which also applies to those who use agents or solicitors for their applications.

Always double check the information that is filled in and all the evidence that is uploaded with your application. Do not trust a 3rd party to submit it on your behalf without verifying.

As far as the Home Office is concerned, if information or evidence is found to be false, the owner of the application is responsible - they do not care if it was done by an agent or barrister.

There are unscrupulous and irresponsible agents and lawyers looking to prey on people's desperation/naivete especially with the tougher rules. Some may advise submitting frivolous and unfounded applications and may fill in false information in an attempt to boost your chances. Always DYOR and ASK QUESTIONS because the applicant will be the one to bear the consequences.

GraceofGod100:
Good morning my oga's at the top , please my family applied for skills health work visa unfortunately the COS given to us was fake because i got 10 years banned for summiting fake certificate of sponsorship COS while my dependants husband,kids got refusal letters with present condition of Nigeria we can't just stay one place for the sake of our kids so we have decided that my husband go for MSc or even through skills work if he can get valid COS, my question is will my banned as the main applicant affect my "dependants" ,husband and kids future applications if they decide to reapply.
below is my banned letter and my dependant husband refusal letter..
Please will my dependants also get the 10 years or it's just A NORMAL REFUSAL they get?... should my husband go ahead with MSc or get a valid COS to reapply please for the sake of our kids....
P.s
I also attached what SW 29.1(a)and(b) on my
husband's refusal letter means ...
Cc
Justwise
Lexusgs430
Babajeje123
Zahra29
giselle237
Dustydee
Lavida001
Cashmadam

Gosh, sorry to hear of your ban due to the fake paperwork.

In theory your ban shouldn't affect your dependants, the issue is your husband getting a route that will sponsor them. As you know the masters route doesn't allow dependants except for Research and PHD courses, the care route has also been restricted to dependants. Your husband could try the NHS or a skilled visa route outside of care, but how will you join them as you will likely be refused under suitability requirements..
It might be worth exploring another country if you plan to stay together as a family.

Schoolhike:
Anyone with experience with Civil service job grades equivalent of NHS.bands

Say to choose between Nhs band 6 and Civil service HEO.

Which would be preferred.

I haven't got experience of either, but my observation is that compared to the NHS, the civil service is increasingly being accused as being bloated with job cuts being suggested.

Ticha:


Exactly! That was a huge oversight at discussing start dates stage
I cam understand not mentioning it at interview but once an offer was given and start dates discussed, it should have been forefront, top line to dicuss. Especially as regardless of EDD he wouldn't have been entitled to paternity leave.
Employers even accommodate pre- booked holidays not to mention a whole new baby

Lol completely agree. It's not a criticism against men, it's just that they're not as adept at multi-tasking/multi-thinking, especially under pressure, as us women folk.

jedisco:


The stated country wasn't mentioned. Quite reasonably, it wasn't China. On the back of recent events, if it was China, you'd expect the government and media to go into a frenzy. The fact that the name of the culprit nation was witheld makes it very likely a 'friendly' and more powerful state - wouldn't surprise me the U.S and the government only stating this cos they're duty bound or they want to front-run an embarrassing leak to the press.

As one British commentary put it, international espionage is not new and what China is accused of doing is expected or the norm among powerful states. Not too long ago, it came to light the U.S had long tapped the personal phone of the German chancellor (a fellow NATO nation), U.S agencies had long prevented messaging platforms from instituting encryption until they were guaranteed a back door. They have long done the illegal of tapping their citizens communication how much more the rest of the world.
The US and UK were the first to clearly warn Ukraine that a Russian incursion was set despite Ukraine and Russia denying such. I don’t want to believe they got this information by asking Russia. Same double standard again crops up- what western nations have done for eons becomes problematic when a non-western nation dares it.

To summarise:

It couldn't have been China.

But even if all the evidence confirms it to be China, then they're still blameless because Western countries have done the same/worse.

Ticha:


Haha they did hack into the NZ parliament and NZ Ministry of Health!

Our pure Chinese comrades? Never - I'm sure it was those dastardly Brits 😂

Strata1716:
Hello everyone
At this point I’m beginning to think I am cursed or something as I am so confused and saddened.

I currently work as a band 5 in the NHS and after 4 months of hard work and rejections looking for a sponsored role, I got a band 7 offer project manager role. I noticed my contract said fixed so I messaged the HR asking why my contract isn’t permanent. I assumed I would be sponsored but I never brought this up with anyone. I got this response “
We can only offer you a fixed-term contract as you have an expiry date on your visa, once your visa expires you will need to give HR your new visa information and your contract will be renewed to the next expiry date on your visa, this will happen until you have permanent right to work in the UK”.

I have not asked them anything about sponsorship but the response has completely shattered me as I would be moving to another town for this role, my current job contract expires in August and I’ve been told renewal is possible.


confused on the next step of action to take, do I try to ask for sponsorship and risk the offer being withdrawn or do I accept the fixed term and risk not giving me myself enough time to look for a sponsored role. My visa expires next year November .

I really need help so I don’t make the wrong choice.




Cc
Lexusgs430
Babajeje123
Zahra29
giselle237
Dustydee
Lavida001

You're not cursed - you just landed a Band 7 role in a highly competitive job market.

Tell them that you were of the impression that the role would be sponsored as it meets all the relevant criteria, and ask them outright if they would be open to sponsoring the role.

HR won't withdraw an offer just because you asked a perfectly reasonable question- worst case they'll say no and let you decide if you still want to proceed. Or hopefully they'll realise that you are looking for sponsorship and decide to look into this for you in order to retain you. But if you don't ask, you won't get.

Lexusgs430:


We men tend to overthink things, our wives have superwomen tendencies....... You been at home to support her today and tomorrow, is an ideal position........ What would happen the day after tomorrow.......

Speak to HR, they would surprisingly be very sympathetic and offer you relevant support.......

Really? @ the bolded....I find the opposite to be true for most men 😂 (e.g. a woman would not forget to mention her husband's impending delivery during an interview lol)

hyzich:
Elders Good Morning,

Please I need your candid advice, I recently got a permanent offer which is closer to where I live and pays more than my former role but the snag here is that my wife is heavily pregnant and I forgot to discuss this during the interview. The new coy wants me to resume by 27th of this month because they are aware that I’m on a FTC in my current role which is difficult for me because my wife has less than 3 weeks to EDD. Please how can I share this with them than won’t affect my current offer.

2nd Plan- I also intend to get someone to come in and assist my wife on days I will work on site so that I won’t need to take any excuse. I am really confused as I do not know how best to address this.

Regards

Cc
Lexusgs430
Babajeje123
Zahra29

When is your wife's EDD?

I would take Lexus and Ticha's advice.

HR can be very accommodating when it comes to unavoidable family circumstances such as these, so I would be open with them and ask it they could push back your start date or allow you work flexibly/part time coming up to EDD and directly after.

Start off by being vague on the details e.g. using words like "my wife might need to go into hospital on x date"....you don't have to tell them that this date was her EDD lol. They shouldn't probe as it's a delicate matter.

It'll be fine. They'll work around you - it's easier than trying to recruit someone else.