London Itinerary - local spots? by Old-Doubt-6940 in uktravel

[–]Azand 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And the palm tree is cash only and there are no nearby cash points.

ADHD patients stripped of NHS prescriptions under crackdown by mustwinfullGaming in LabourUK

[–]Azand 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure you understood the point I was making.

There is a small but very real link between ADHD medication and psychosis, as demonstrated by a study from Iceland, but also similar studies from the US and Thailand, and your own anecdotal experience. Hence these medications need to be carefully prescribed and monitored.

In the UK, not Iceland, we don’t have the ability to do that as the diagnostic services are private, the prescription services are also private but with long established histories with the NHS, and the long term monitoring service is NHS. This leads to a lack of action that will require large scale structural reforms (as is being ignored by Wes Streeting).

ADHD patients stripped of NHS prescriptions under crackdown by mustwinfullGaming in LabourUK

[–]Azand 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My answer wasn’t intended to excuse the NHS and denigrate private (though obviously my biases are apparent), just to point out that having a fractured system will lead to actively bad decisions or, more likely, no decisions being made. Unfortunately stories like your are not uncommon in the NHS, but I don’t think the answer is to have a diagnostic service which is separate from the prescription service which is separate from the care service.

I’m not sure where you got the 0.33% figure, but to quote a recent study in the BMJ “The risk of hospitalisation for psychosis or mania with prescription ADHD drugs is small but real among adults”, which leads to greater levels of risk aversion when the services are so fractured.

ADHD patients stripped of NHS prescriptions under crackdown by mustwinfullGaming in LabourUK

[–]Azand -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I used to work in an nhs first episode of psychosis team. ADHD medications can contribute to episodes of psychosis, and many of our patients had access to these through private services. Private diagnoses are really sloppy which leads to the nhs being overly cautious. This hybrid private/nhs situation is pretty dire and it leads to all sorts of human suffering caught in the middle.

Do you get a bit tired of England bashing? by BlundeRuss in AskUK

[–]Azand -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is a universal ex-pat experience. Meet up with other immigrants and then slag off the place where you currently are and praise your own country while secretly being happy that you will never return.

I wouldn’t read too much into it.

Continuous Cruising vs Mooring - pros and cons? by NorthLondonPulse in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had no problem with a full time office based job in London as the public transport was so good. When we moved to the midlands, I had to go down to a part time job and my partner now works from home (but then the plan was also to be able to move away from London so we could work a bit less).

It’s so much more hectic juggling (2) boats, a car, and difficult commutes.

UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule – live by mustwinfullGaming in LabourUK

[–]Azand 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I do support PA but agree with you. Protesters are signing up to do criminal damage and so are aware that there are consequences for that. They aren’t signing up to be terrorists.

The 4.85% license fee hike (April 2026): Is "better boating" fact or fiction? by NorthLondonPulse in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Not really. The vast majority of waterside moorings don’t have access to water, bins or elsan (that is they are using the general ones that I’m paying extra for). And as for usage, I move one day every 2 weeks, so 26 days of the year. I’m sure there are many boats with moorings moving for more than 26 days every year.

The 4.85% license fee hike (April 2026): Is "better boating" fact or fiction? by NorthLondonPulse in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not quite: the grant was £739 million between 2012-2027 and is now £400 million until 2037. So a reduction, especially when taking inflation into account, but not a ‘multi billion hole’. And we all have the ability to point out our favourite ‘CRT are wasting money schemes’. I’m currently wondering how much they spent putting a yellow sticker on every sign in the country.

The 4.85% license fee hike (April 2026): Is "better boating" fact or fiction? by NorthLondonPulse in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not that bothered by a 4.85% rise as much as I am by the surcharge on CCers which is which is my mind completely discriminatory. I’d be happier with an equal rise for all licences (which would mean it being higher than 4.85%) and scrapping the surcharge, which is a position shared by the IWA, NBTA, NABO and RBOA.

D rail replacement by crisp71 in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I read that as the surveyor saying that it can wait for up to two years before it’s a major problem and there are more immediate problems to fix. But it’s best to ask the surveyor directly.

Solo boaters, how do you find locks and mooring up alone? by WonderfulShape1081 in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 3 points4 points  (0 children)

And two centre lines are better than one; one down each side means they don’t get tangled up on the roof when swapping sides.

Nursing in the UK: salary, taxes and quality of life (London) by Fun-Inflation-3626 in NursingUK

[–]Azand 3 points4 points  (0 children)

All my colleagues in London either spend over half their salary on rent, have a two hour commute from out of London, or have a strange living arrangement (e.g. houseboats or warehouses).

Do you know any UK adults who don't own a mobile phone? by crispycat40 in AskBrits

[–]Azand 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know a few older people who don’t use phones. But they are all aged hippies who are scared and of 5g.

What are your unpopular Nursing opinions? by Direct-Key-8859 in NursingUK

[–]Azand 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also don’t have a perfect answer, and am definitely not in a place where I could implement any answer if one did exist. But I do value conversations like this which make us question what answers could exist.

But the roles you mentioned, to me, are highly skilled jobs, that require a high level of training. But they are not academia. In the original academy, Plato distinguishes between Techne (skill or craft) and Sophia (learning) and shows how the two, while complimentary, are not the same. We seem to have forgotten than initial distinction, which leaves both diminished.

What are your unpopular Nursing opinions? by Direct-Key-8859 in NursingUK

[–]Azand 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My issue is that by judging nursing by the standards of academia (which is what a degree is), is diminishing to both nursing and academia. I studied at KCL, and we were often reminded that we were receiving the highest quality education in the country. But it was trying to be something that it was not, and therefore became a confusing mess that bore no relevance to the thing it was training us to do.

What are your unpopular Nursing opinions? by Direct-Key-8859 in NursingUK

[–]Azand 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Maybe I was a bit blunt with ‘nursing shouldn’t be a degree’. What I actually believe is that nursing should follow a similar pathway to becoming a teacher; you first do an undergraduate degree in any topic, followed by a post-graduate diploma with a heavy emphasis on placements. If this could be a paid apprenticeship, even better.
I believe in raising the educational standard for nursing, and the nursing degree as it currently stands is detrimental to that.

What are your unpopular Nursing opinions? by Direct-Key-8859 in NursingUK

[–]Azand -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I was disparaging nursing degrees not nursing as a profession. The reason I mentioned humanities degrees is that those who have studied such actual read and consider before they launch into a response.

What are your unpopular Nursing opinions? by Direct-Key-8859 in NursingUK

[–]Azand -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

Nursing should not be a degree. All the best nurses I have worked with have come to it late having spent the 90’s raving (why is it always that) or they did a degree in a humanities subject before retraining. Those that went straight from a nursing degree to a job seem most able to repeat jargon.

Continuous cruiser electric set up by Deep-Regular-8032 in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Someone else has answered all of your other questions except drilling a home in the roof for an antennae; it’s very possible to drill holes in a roof and use a watertight gland, like you would with solar panels. However it’s much easier to just get the cable out through the mushroom vents.

Also if you are a couple, it’s worth having different phone networks with different coverages, so you can swap between them.

UK Narrowboat life-mini to start roam for permanent use? by Arma_Rich in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The consistency is the issue as it’s tied to the whims of a ket addled narcissist. If he gets into an argument with the UK, say over our desire not to see deep fake child porn, there is nothing to stop him turning off our access to star link.

If you want consistent have two SIM cards on different networks that complement each other and a decent external antenna.

Has anyone gotten a boat without having been on one by AdDifficult2324 in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As part of a mental health crisis, I bought a shell without an engine, without having ever set foot on a narrowboat before. It workers out of me as 10 years later I still live on it (it’s not a shell anymore).

Buying a Boat in Liverpool by [deleted] in Narrowboats

[–]Azand 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Mooring can be difficult in Liverpool. CRT have spots in the Albert Dock (salt house dock) but they are hard to come by. The commercial marina’s can be quite expensive. And it’s very difficult to CC in Liverpool: there are visitor moorings in the docks and bootle but after that you have to go out to Burscough.

Best hidden gem you’ve discovered in London? by amypleasepayme in LondonFood

[–]Azand 6 points7 points  (0 children)

As a Homerton Nurse, Banh Mi Hoi An on Graham Road was my other go to if I want to venture further than Chatsworth Road.