I quite like the UK

[EuroTrash]

" I struggle to think of one good reason to stay. Like I said earlier, France is to hard work (fed up fighting all the time) expensive and to be fair.....quite boring. There is so much more to do in the UK......especially for kids. "

In that case why are you even hesitating? Do it!

My simple view is that the only reason for being in a place, is because it's where you most want to be. If it isn't, which it sounds like for you France isn't, then there is no point at all in being there. It's a very personal choice, you have to do what's right for you.

[alittlebitfrench]

@ ET.....well I have a family ET and they come first. It is a difficult one to way up.

Its like the 'moving to France' question but in reverse. Having said that, I can live and be happy anywhere.

I also have a serious eye condition and whilst healthcare is better in France I am not sure I want to go blind there. Ho hum.

[alittlebitfrench]

Interesting this thread has nearly got 500 hits !!!

There are only 5 ish people on this forum lol.

[lindal1000]

On a serious note, if you are remotely considering this you need to go before brexit or TM's cut off date, otherwise you could face difficulties bringing your wife and kids over. I would also think of renting rather the buying, as all the signs are that property will go down again.

[alittlebitfrench]

@ lindal1000

Yes, I have read about the complications with Brexit and having EU partners and also about property prices in the UK. Not sure property prices would go down in leafy Sussex mind you.

Would never rent, Many houses around here need my help. Have you seen what people do to the interiors of their houses in the UK ? It does not matter what price bracket you look at (500k - 2 million), all the houses look the same on the inside. Yuk !!!

[Chancer]

That will be all the French going over there and putting carpet on the walls and ceilings and shutters on the Windows.

 

Sounds like it will be a happy hunting ground for you ALBOF [;-)] You will slip into your routine there seamlessly.

 

I think i was exactly your age when I had my crise de quarantaine so I know what is eating at you, I was in the other country and had no dépendants so I chose to be completely free and travel the world, fate conspired against me though and just before leaving I became obligated to come to France on my return.

 

In your position I would have no doubts what would be better in the long run for your family and your good self, - DO IT!

 

Re the eye problem, I had several eye operations for a detached retina in France (many recidives) and one in England, the (lack of) care there is appalling, because the surgeon was god and didnt want to come in on the weekend I now have a very narrow myopic field of vision in my eye, the ward nurses were pleading with me to take an action against the hospital but I chose not to, no follow up visits and care like in France, I waited a couple of weeks for an out patient appointment, then had to wait all afternoon (all appointments were for 12.00) the person was disinterested, did not even examine me and just asked how I felt, I told him my concerns (I was by then a bit of an expert) and he wasn't interested.

 

I returned immediately to France blind in one eye, straight to the eye hospital where I was seen immediately, they were shocked and had never seen such high ocular pressure, a surgical team was rostered in and they operated immediately to save the little sight I have remaining.

 

I could also go on at length about how I was recieved in casualty, how they didnt even know what a detached retina was let alone the urgency, how they brought in a Young yuppy asian female opthalmogist from North London after 6 hours who gave me a bollocking because she had a dinner party, how I was expected to find my own way either to Moorfields or Brighton eye hospital I couldnt see to walk down the corridoor let alone drive or get trains and tubes when what should have happened was that I should have been carried in an ambulance immediately to the operating theatre in a certain position to relieve the pressure.

 

go back to France for any specialist eye treatment, use your CEAM or an EHIC if they give you one, it will be valid for 10 years and I bet you the Brexit negotiations wont render it invalid any more than they will prevent you from living in the UK with a French national wife and your biological children.

[alittlebitfrench]

I have acute closed glaucoma Chancer. Not sure if it is serious or not lol....lost in translation. Having holes drilled in my eyes on Friday. Nice !

I will wait a year and decide if we go back. We will always have a property in France if we do or don't.

[Chancer]

Same as me in the botched eye, they did the drilling operation, its supposed to allow the fluids to drain, its usually successfull, wasn't in my case so I have to continue with eyedrops every day, not a biggy to keep my sight but frustrating because I can no longer boast that I dont take any médications.

 

Its a simple procedure, its only serious if left untreated, you will be fine.

 

Gets me on another UK healthcare rant, my father had the same, undiagnosed all his life, it was only in his 80's when his vision really started failing they took notice, put on waiting (for ever) list, they probably hoped he would die first, but at least they had to give him regular check ups, during one they said they had good and bad news, the bad news is that you are now blind in that eye "tell me something I dont know" my father said, the good news is that we dont need to operate on it now [:P] I think he grabbed the guys balls then and was given the second good news, now that you are blind in one eye you are now a priority case for the operation in the other eye which could be in as little as 5 years [:@] he died before they got their act together.

[alittlebitfrench]

Well I guess this is the worry (NHS) about going back.

I went to get my eyes tested for new glasses. He spotted the problem and said you have to have an echo on your eyes.....now. Got appointment next day and they confirmed his diagnosis and the drilling will be done Friday on one eye and on the other a week later. Cool ! You can't beat that for heathcare.

If it had not been spotted, it would have been goodnight Vienna before Xmas for my eyes.

[lindal1000]

Chancer, for non EU citizens it does not matter that you are British if your wife or kids weren't born in the UK and are not Uk citizens. Just being British yourself is not enough. You have to be earning enough money to support your wife and kids (I forget the amount but I seem to remember a figure of £31000 pa.) and your wife's earnings cannot be taken into account. TM has said there tgwill be arrangements for those who were in the Uk before the agreed date, whatever that is..

I used to live in Sussex ALBF.. property does go down there sometimes, although not in places lime Brighton! I like Sussex. We often have discussions along the lines of if we had to go back where would we go, and Sussex and Dorset come up often. OH also likes some places north of Luton but too far north for me. If you have glaucoma you and your kids get free eye tests for life in UK.

[alittlebitfrench]

@ Lindal

Yes, I like Sussex....in particular Petersfield.

I was Born in Redhil, went to school in Dorset but lived in Wiltshire....like you do. I also used to live (with OH) in Winchester before moving to France. I have to admit, I love this part of the world.

[Chancer]

I am guessing that you were tested by an opthalmo de ville which is at least a 9 month wait around here, so many people are jumping the queue by going to les urgences that they will not Under any circumstances give a patient their ordonnance.

 

In the UK any high street optician is trained and has the Equipment to do a retinal and ocular pressure check plus field of vision test and send you to hospital if need be or in case of doubt, TBF the opticians in Paris may well do also but its being fought tooth and nail by the opthalmos, back to the UK the opticians are as well trained as and better equipped than my opthalmo de ville plus you get Customer service! you wont pay for the check if you have glaucoma or any family history of it, you can walk in any time if you have doubts, it takes the pressure of A&E who are not equipped or staffed for ocular problems as I know to my cost, in the future just pop in to Boots or Specsavers etc, have a test, if they say you need treatment hot-tail it back to France!!!

[nomoss]

My wife and I went to our usual opthalmic optician in Figueres yesterday for tests, which included those mentioned by Chancer above, and which were positive for both of us.

It is only a couple of hours' drive each way, and we do a lot of shopping whilst there, but I wasn't keen on the trip in this hot weather. I phoned all the opthalmologists in our yellow Pages for a RDV, but the soonest on offer was 7 months. All but three did not answer, and had no answer phone, even though listed as cabinets.

The one in Figueres gave us appointments for the next week.

The cost of the tests, which were over 30 minutes for each of us, was €35 each. The new lenses,  progressive, photochromic and coated for both of us, were 230€ each for my wife, and €200 for myself.

I particularly like this place, as upstairs from the shop is the clinic of the eye specialist who diagnosed my detached retina and got me to an operating theatre in in Gerona the next day, a few years ago. It's good to know he's there for any problems, and I'm not worried about the cost where eyes are concerned.

[Chancer]

I would be there like a shot Nomoss.

 

The French eye hospital is second to none clinically and for the after operation care, beyond that its very poor, they say make an appointement for a check up in 6 months but the secretariat wont allow it, they tell you to phone in 5 months whereupon they give you an appointment for 6 months later [8-)]

 

So after 11 months you go and are sat around for half a day, you are only seen by internes they do the eye test and all the opthalmo does is sign the ordonnance which in my case was completely wrong, not even a little bit close and resulted in me spending loads of money on glasses that might work for the patient before or behind me but not for me.

 

Then I found that I could/should have been consulting an opthalmo de ville and that the best one at the hospital, a Syrian actually has his own practice in Amiens and only does part time work (no doubt well paid) at the teaching hospital.

 

I must phone him now.

 

Tried to get an appointment at my dentiste, they never answer the phone, no answerphone, went twice each time the place was locked up and shutters down, no sign showing opening hours or days they are shut, just the phone number that is never answered, tried another dentiste exactly the same on several visits and phone calls, finally asked in the Maison medicale just up the street and they told me that my dentiste is closed all day every Thursday and the other only opens ceratin half days a week which he keeps secret and only confides to his customers when giving them an appointment.

 

If we had an optahalmogiste in our town it would be the same, nobody knows how to communicate or seemingly wants to work, but they all knwo how to cry "concurrence déloyale" as soon as a slick modern operation like your opticien/opthalmo starts up.