Health and Education

Nurses versus carers, inequal pay and prestige
Why are nurses always put on a pedestal, and why do we as a society venerate nurses when others who work with the vulnerable such as carers or those working with children are not?
2-Sep-11 17:46

Trading cards should be banned in schools
Below is a letter I felt compelled to send to the headmaster of the local school that my daughter attends. I really think that trading cards should be banned in schools as they cause so many problems.
11-Jul-11 17:31

Use of a calculator does not impede numeracy skills
By calculator or the old fashioned way? Very few memorize the innumerable scientific and mathematical formulae any more for its own sake; but they know what they mean, where to find them and how and when to apply them.
2-Feb-11 16:28

The Foundation Phase - learning through play
The Welsh Assembly has introduced The Foundation Phase for Welsh kids in infant classes. It was first introduced about three years ago and the philosophy behind it was that boys are turned off by school at an early age.
18-Jan-11 15:43

Air fresheners should be banned in public places
I think that these air fresheners in the spray cans and indeed some of the plug-in fresheners should be banned in public places, or even better banned all together. These products simply mask bad smells rather than purify air.
1-Nov-10 09:22

Private dentist prices for root canal treatment
Why is root canal treatment not available in a decent time frame on the NHS and why are the private dentists who can do the work sooner so expensive? How can anyone justify charging a patient £660 for 90 minutes work?
15-Jul-10 16:03

Admission policy for faith schools
There is no place for faith schools in state funded education. Fee paying schools can be whatever faith they want - after all you're paying for it, but religion has no place in the state education system.
30-Jun-10 17:50

Smoking outside should be banned too
So smoking is banned in public indoor areas and now we have to put up with revolting smokers whenever we step outside. They're next to the doors at the mall, outside the pub, outside the office and in the parks.
11-Apr-10 11:36

Emergency appointments only at the doctor's
Why is it that the only way you can get an appointment with a doctor these days is to declare an emergency? This is quite ridiculous as laypeople aren't qualified to diagnose how 'life threatning' a medical condition is.
15-Feb-10 19:00

You don't need diet clubs to lose weight
Why do Weightwatchers and other diet food brands exist? Do women on a slimming diet really have to jump on someone else's commercial bandwagon? Eating less should cost less, not more.
21-Jan-10 18:24

Bring back corporal punishment in schools
I'm all in favour of bringing back corporal punishment in schools. A radical idea perhaps, but if regulated and monitored I think it would go a long way to solving the problem with kids today.
10-Nov-09 14:45

Nasty teachers and teaching assistants
We are well aware that we are probably in the minority here, but unfortunately we have had a particularly unpleasant experience with teachers and teaching assistants at our local school.
18-Aug-09 10:25

Sixth form students don't respect teachers
I am sick and tired of the lack of respect sixth form students show members of staff at their school. It is not uncommon for students to swear, disregard rules, not do work and generally misbehave while in sixth form.
9-Aug-09 14:12

Why are GP receptionists always so rude?
You would think that in order to hold down a job as a GP receptionist good people skills and a cheerful personality would be a prerequisite wouldn't you?. Apparently not though. Here are a few reasons as to why I detest them.
8-Jul-09 18:25

Too many heavy school books to carry
I am no stranger to the aches and pain some students experience. Teachers seem to completely ignore that fact that the students in their class have other lessons, and other lessons mean other text books.
24-Jun-09 17:03

Swine Flu, and why I don't care about it
Do you care about swine flu? I sure don't! I'm not planning on travelling to Mexico. People need to grow up and stop pushing the panic button when it comes to infectious diseases.
22-Jun-09 20:39

Dementia patients in hospital
I have been truly sickened by the total lack of understanding from trained medical staff at the local A&E towards dementia and other age associated mental illness such as Alzheimer's disease.
1-Jun-09 08:10

Cold and flu virus spread by air travel
Airlines should do more to protect passengers from viral infections. Practically every time I've flown recently, I have come down with either a really bad cough, sore throat or flu like symptoms.
27-Apr-09 13:40

EMA, money to learn or money to burn?
For those who haven't heard of it this was dreamt up by the government to encourage more youngsters to go into further education after they finish school. It's called EMA and it stands for Education Maintenance Allowance.
27-Mar-09 12:13

School teaching methods letting our children down
What is it they actually teach children at school these days, or more precisely how are they teaching our children? My gripe is that teachers no longer appear to have the skills themselves to teach our children.
20-Mar-09 11:52

Hospital car parking should be free
Why do hospitals and such places charge to park cars? Sometimes it is just not helpful at all. Fair enough charging visitors for parking, but for people dropping off patients surely it should be free?
11-Mar-09 14:17

Don't sneeze over me, I don't want your germs
There's usually a lot of nasty colds and outbreaks of flu going around at this time of year. Perhaps if some people were a bit more considerate and didn't spread their germs around, we'd all be a lot better off.
20-Jan-09 18:18

Men don't wash their hands after going to the toilet
One thing I find completely disgusting is other men who don't wash their hands after going to the toilet. I see it all the time in pubs and toilets at motorway service stations etc. Is this just laziness or perhaps ignorance?
10-Oct-08 13:57

No test results because hostpital staff lost my notes
I am under a consultant at a large hospital for a fairly routine medical issue. It isn't life threatening but it is something that requires bloods and investigations to be carried out promptly and in a certain order.
25-Sep-08 15:09

Health centre staff wont help bridge the gap
Some GPs are the worst mannered people when trying to help someone who does not have the capacity or confidence to speak out and needs help. They might be busy but manners cost nothing.
30-Jun-08 22:27

Poor use of English in the UK
Whenever I look at this forum, and others, I am shocked at the way people mangle the English language. I find that many non-native English speakers in UK, particularly the Polish, speak and write English to a far higher standard...
6-Jun-08 14:11

GP appointment system doesn't work
Do many languish at home in need of the help which is now so difficult to find? More importantly does anyone really care? Perhaps we could be forgiven for thinking that medication was fast becoming a rich man's privilege.
28-Feb-08 17:52

The lack of mobility in young people
I do not understand why so many young people seem to have lost the use of their legs? Each school day means that these children who cannot use their legs are blocking up the roads for those of us who need to use them.
18-Feb-08 18:04

Body odour and bad breath, no excuse for it!
My gripe is people who share their unpleasant bodily odours and exhalations with those of us who don't wish to participate. I mean of course people who don't take the trouble to wash themselves or their clothes.
7-Feb-08 22:11

Overseas dental care scam
Be very careful if you are considering having dental work carried out overseas, particlularly if the destination is Thailand and you happen to live in Australia! I have lost money in this way and am still waiting on some form of settlement.
5-Nov-07 21:27

Schools too soft on disruptive pupils
What do you do with disruptive pupils with behaviour problems? I've had to quit my job at a secondary school as a teacher because I can no longer stand the behaviour of many of the pupils. I have been increasingly verbally abused and insulted.
13-Sep-07 12:32

My nostrils raped by noxious chemicals
People are obsessed with chemical products and seem completely oblivious to the fact that they are toxic. They enjoy breathing these noxious substances in and spraying them all over themselves.
14-Aug-07 17:14

NHS doctors moaning about pay
My gripe is with doctors in the NHS who are constantly complaining that they are not being paid enough. Why don’t we stop giving the Doctors money every time they moan and give it the people in the rehabilitation sector instead?
29-Jun-07 11:43

Children with dyslexia undiagnosed
In my opinion schools are not doing enough to identify children with Dyslexia! It took me a long time to get my parents to notice, and was even harder to get my school and college to notice too.
28-Jun-07 18:55

I am deaf you know, not stupid!
I have just started a course as a mature student. To assist me I have a note taker and communication support worker, so people will often see them with me in class and are put off, almost afraid of approaching me.
26-Jun-07 12:02

School subject choices poor
I've just been through helping my daughter choose her options at school and was shocked at the poor subject choices available. We had to choose one subject from three groups, but getting the right combination was impossible.
3-Apr-07 20:24

Teachers who torment children
From the age of six I have experienced first hand just how horrible and mean some teachers can be. I have been tormented and even bullied by them. You may think that things like this don't go on nowadays, but how sure are you?
2-Apr-07 11:44

Welsh language policy in schools and society
Not only should the compulsory Welsh language lessons in schools be scrapped, but Welsh language road signs should also be abolished because they lead to confusion for drivers.
6-Mar-07 11:55

Fitness First cancellation policy complaint
I joined Fitness First and was told that my membership would be for a minimum of 3 months. At the time I was advised that to cancel, I had to give at least one month's notice.
16-Feb-07 20:50

Smokers have rights too
I'm fed up with the way smokers are now seen as second class citizens.  As you may know, smoking in Scotland has now been banned and we have all been pushed outside into the cold.
27-Nov-06 20:26

Dyslexia in a topsy turvy world
People with Dyslexia don’t live in the topsy turvy world; it’s just the rest of us who do! In fact, Dyslexics are highly intelligent people who are simply unable to express their intelligence in the written form.
4-Oct-06 13:37

Fed up with fake people
I am sick and tired of fake people, especially fake hair extensions, fake nails and women who think they need this rubbish to fit into what they think that men find attractive in a woman.
24-Aug-06 09:00

Media censorship on the Daily Mail
I'm getting a little fed up with censorship on the Daily Mail website. As an x-ray student I thought I'd reply and put the message straight on a forum about lung cancer diagnosis. Did my comment get published? No!
21-Aug-06 09:51

The NHS is not perfect
We all know the NHS isn’t perfect, but these days what is? I'm sick of people who don't actually work in the NHS trying to tell us what we should be doing or how we should be doing it.
3-Jul-06 16:44

Health and safety in education
As a direct result of stupid health and safety policies enforced by schools, a lot of kids are missing out on some valuable educational experiences. Is it me or, or have things just gone barmy?
22-Jun-06 11:01

Pushy parents at the school gate
Pushy parents that brag about their kids at the school gate; you know the type – every time you arrive at school to collect your little angel they’re there, itching to compare SATS scores, swimming certificates, spelling ability etc.
29-May-06 21:28

America should ban smoking everywhere
Some countries have banned smoking in public places, but America has yet to follow suit. Smoking is an extremely unhealthy habit. Burning just one cigarette releases over 4,000 chemicals into the air.
10-May-06 13:19

School teachers that can't spell letting kids down
My daughter has returned from school this week with some new spellings to learn, but how are kids supposed to learn spelling and grammar when their books are wrong and even the teachers haven't noticed?
9-May-06 14:38

NIMBYs getting the phone masts taken down
Why is the world full of these NIMBY's who oppose the building of mobile phone masts, yet they are quite happy to carry around and use a mobile phone themselves? These people are just a load of hypocrites.
13-Mar-06 19:39

Stop Religious Education in primary schools
My young children attend a local primary school where religious education consists of the teaching of god and creation. I think they’re too young and disagree with showing only one side of the argument.
7-Mar-06 00:01

Smoking in a non-smoking area
I really do think that smokers have got to be the most filthy, inconsiderate and rudest bunch of people around. I think there should be fines put in place for smokers who smoke in non smoking areas.
1-Mar-06 19:20

Can't get a doctor's appointment
When something is wrong I quite literally need to be nagged into going to see a doctor. I've discovered however that it is very difficult to get an appointment that day unless you declare an emergency!
6-Feb-06 15:30

Why are razor blades all so expensive?
Razor blade companies have quite literally got us by the short and curly; with expensive replacement cartridges and incompatible fittings. It’s enough to make want to grow a beard.
9-Nov-05 20:45

Why do women want to loose weight all the time?
Why do people, particularly women get so obsessive about dieting and want to lose weight all the time? They’re always at it, counting the calories and starting a new diet when the old one doesn’t work.
21-Oct-05 17:44

No useful advice from pharmacy counter staff
I’ve just come back from the local pharmacy and I’m a little less than impressed with the service in there. I’m sure it’s not the same everywhere, but I always seem to pick the worst ones.
14-Sep-05 14:35

Smelly people with BO that don't shower or bathe
Most homes have hot and cold running water so there is no excuse for coming into work smelling of body odour (B.O.). There is nothing worse than sitting at a desk opposite the office smelly.
8-Sep-05 14:57

Dirty public toilets are disgusting
Dirty filthy stinking public toilets. There's nothing worse than going to a public lav and finding it all covered in urine or excrement. Why can't people treat the public loo like their own and leave it clean?
31-Aug-05 17:12

Vaccine distribution methods unsafe
As with all drugs and vaccines, there will always be a small percentage of people who will show negative side effects, we are after all different genetically.
25-Aug-05 15:12

Ban smoking in public places
It's about time to ban smoking in public places in this country and stamp smoking out once and for all. Why should non smokers breathe your stale smoke?
28-Nov-01 15:00

Specs and contact lenses too expensive
Last year in the England and Wales alone there were nearly 11 million eye tests and no doubt many of these individuals required their vision to be corrected using eye glasses or contact lenses.
20-May-01 12:00

Door handles in public toilets the wrong way round
Can someone please tell me why door handles on public toilets are all on the wrong side?
15-May-01 01:00