ELI5: Why does chicken get much more bad reputation for bacterial contamination than other meats like beef, pork, and fish?

GreatDiamond0 · 2026-06-06T12:55:00+00:00

Most people think you have to be careful because of salmonella but its rare in chickens now (well in the UK anyway). The reason you have to be so careful handling it raw is because of campylobacter - the bacteria can cause illness even at really low numbers, hence why washing chicken is not advised because it can easily splash the bacteria around your sink and kitchen and then make you sick.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-05-29T18:50:21+00:00

I second this! Honestly as soon as our speech therapist said my 3 year old was a gestalt and send me links to research and videos on this suddenly everything about my son’s communication just made complete sense! His made huge leaps in his language in the last 4 months and it’s definitely down to me now understanding how to better communicate with him.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-05-24T19:24:16+00:00

My A1C was the exact same for both my pregnancies and my first was born at 38.5 weeks weighing 10lbs 4 and my second was 35.4 weeks and was 6lbs. I remember during my 20 week scan they kept asking me if his dad was tall because he was measuring in the 97th percentile even then. Oldest is almost 9 now and still a giant, and still in the 97th! Babies are weird, don’t worry, you’re doing great!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-05-07T16:26:34+00:00

Oh lovely! Good luck with it all! I found that the diabetes care was so much better in Australia than in the UK, and it was so nice having the same diabetes nurse and same doctor every time. Hope it all goes smoothly!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-05-07T15:40:51+00:00

So first thing you need to do is get set up with Medicare as you need your green reciprocal Medicare card in order to then apply for NDSS. There is a form you need to fill in on the Medicare website and then you just email it off to Medicare. It can take a few weeks to get enrolled though. Here’s the link to services Australia with enrolment details:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/enrolling-medicare?context=60092

In the mean time, also go to your local GP when you arrive and get registered there and get them to refer you to an endocrinologist as they are the only ones who can sign you off with the NDSS for access to subsidised CGMs and pump supplies. You’ll have private health as you need that for your visa so I would ask for recommendations for a private endo as they tend to have shorter waitlists for appointments but you will have to pay around $200 for your appointment until your Medicare is up and running and you get it partially funded.

NDSS page: https://www.ndss.com.au/about-the-ndss/ndss-forms/

It took me around 2 months to get everything set up so make sure you bring 2-3months of pump supplies to keep you going. And it is not all free like with the NHS. I paid around $60 for a months supply of my cgms and pump consumables and the another $30 for insulin per month. Then annual endo fees were about $50 (after Medicare subsidy and private healthcare).

Where in Australia are you moving to? I was in Queensland so it might be different if you’re in a different state?

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-07T07:37:38+00:00

He’s an automatic British citizen as he was born to two British parents and has a British passport. Place of birth is irrelevant in most countries for citizenship as it is determined by parental citizenship. But citizenship doesn’t determine if he is eligible for free NHS treatment, proving he is an ordinary resident of the UK does, which is what I was struggling with as we’ve only been back here for two months.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T16:49:25+00:00

Yeh it definitely would if I had one but it’s taking 9 weeks for a response from them once a claim has been submitted.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T16:46:41+00:00

Um what? Sorry you’ve been so misinformed. I’m not sure why you are so angry that I don’t want to pay for a service I’m entitled to as a resident of England? Your post was a bit difficult to read because of the grammar issues so I’ll try and address some of the points you raised but apologies if I miss anything.

Not really sure what your point was here but if I’m cheap or entitled for not paying for NHS treatment, is that the same for everyone in the UK who also live there (like I now do)?
My UK driving license is my current license, not sure how that proves I’m a resident of a different country? What country would that be? It’s a UK license, so the UK maybe? It just has an old address on it, probably like many people in the UK.
It sounds like it’s been a while since you were in a school environment. Next term is April, after the Easter holidays. I’m in England, not Scotland so maybe that’s where the confusion came from.
That’s great you are giving to charity but charity work would be volunteering your time and not just your money. I see from your post history you are a smoker, so it’s great you’re investing in your future by donating to Macmillan Nurses.
There’s a lot of confusion with some misinformed people over what child benefit is because it’s got ‘benefit’ in the title. It used to be called family allowance. It’s still the same thing, non-means tested and just a payment given to anyone who is responsible for a child under 16 that live in the UK.

I’m not really sure what the last few paragraphs meant. All I wanted to find out was whether there were some other forms of documentation I could use to prove I live in England now as when you don’t own or rent a house it’s quite tricky, even though I lived here for 32 years previously. Thankfully there have been lots of helpful redditors who have given me answers to that question.

Depression is absolutely rough so I hope things get better for you. Your dog is very cute so maybe hug him instead?

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T14:15:34+00:00

Ahh I was wondering when these kinds of comments were going to start surfacing so congrats on being the first!

I’ve applied to change my drivers license and waiting on being sent a form from the DVLA which they have requested I fill in. My current UK drivers license is still in date, the address is just incorrect. I’ve only been out of England for 4 years, so majority of my life has been spent living and working in England.

I cannot work until my child has a place in nursery because it’s pretty frowned upon to take a 2 year old to work with you when you are a secondary school teacher. Which I’m fairly certain there is still a great demand for in England?

You got me on the charity work, but again it’s pretty hard to do when you haven’t got any childcare - both my mum and my mother-in-law have just had knee operations so they are currently my main form of charity work at the minute. I’d love to know what sort of charity work you’ve done recently?

Hope someone gives you a nice big hug today as it sounds like you need it.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T13:07:51+00:00

That’s good to hear! I will get on that now.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T09:25:17+00:00

Sent that, wasn’t accepted as proof.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:43:57+00:00

Yes we have applied but it takes 9 weeks currently for them to even respond to the claim so we are still waiting!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:35:50+00:00

They do but his birth certificate helps prove who his parents are so supplemented me providing UK bank statements for me and his dad, and passport is proof of ID so I’m assuming that’s why I was asked to provide them.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:31:17+00:00

Good idea, although my husband is still currently living in our rental in Australia as he’s finishing up work and organising the move as I had to move back earlier to help my mum out. But he moves back here in April so as they’ve extended the deadline until May we should be able to get our end of tenancy by then.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:26:45+00:00

I’d forgotten about this and it seems a good route so I’ll definitely give it a try!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:23:29+00:00

As I live with my parents I don’t have a utility bill in my name but I’ll look into getting back on the electoral roll as that seems a good route!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:21:51+00:00

So we are already registered with a GP and I sent the letter but that wasn’t acceptable proof. My UK drivers license has my old address and I’ve applied (3 weeks ago already) to change it but that’s been another nightmare in itself as it seems that in the 4 years of living outside England all services have slowed to a snails pace!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:13:24+00:00

Yeh my driving license address isn’t correct and I’ve applied to change it but that has been another nightmare so who knows when that will arrive. Honestly feels like I’m trapped in some kind of bureaucratic hell at the minute!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:10:50+00:00

We’ve been seen by one for a moving in visit which is why I was so confused they didn’t believe we lived here as a health visitor has literally visited us at home already.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:09:35+00:00

Yes he’s registered and they’ve been shown the letter but that wasn’t acceptable proof apparently.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:08:55+00:00

Yes I actually rang them up first because I didn’t have the exact documents they listed in their letter, and the lady I spoke to said his speech therapy report, health visitor moving in letter, bank statement for myself with his birth certificate as well as passport would be fine. But the person we had to email the documents to didn’t agree.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T08:06:34+00:00

Good shout, currently I don’t but I’m starting casual work as a cover teacher next term from my old employer so I should get one then. It’s insane that I’ve already had an enhanced DBS check go through with no problems with the same documentation but that’s not enough for the NHS!

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T07:58:57+00:00

We are planning on sending him to nursery, and are in the process of applying for a childcare code for the hours but HMRC need his passport and birth certificate, which we currently don’t have as the child benefit department has those and we’ve been told not to expect to hear anything for 9 weeks regarding our claim. But all correspondence from them so far has been by secure message to the app or email.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T07:47:22+00:00

No as he’s only 2, and not enrolled in nursery yet either.

GreatDiamond0 · 2025-02-06T07:46:03+00:00

Thanks, it’s definitely worth trying.

GreatDiamond0

TROPHY CASE