[Misc] I'm in the wrong job

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

In these circumstances :

Under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education


Receiving low income benefits, or you're under 20 and a dependant of someone receiving low income benefits

In a previous life I investigated NHS dentists and later was involved in chasing people who had incorrectly claimed free NHS dental treatment.

Soon it may come to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMhGUhSNKmQ

 

[southstandandy]

Can't disagree - but it's still a fairly niche area of work where demand will always be high so you can pretty much charge what you want.

Similar to going private (if you can afford it) for healthcare. My sister who is a doctor earns a good living from the NHS but still works privately on Monday and Friday nights charging £250 an hour for her time - yet she is fully booked for months.

Sadly supply and demand will over inflate certain roles or responsibilities over time. My dentist now charges £75 for a check up - and an appointment lasts barely 5 mins.

As you said maybe I should use my retirement to retrain as a dentist!

 

[Brovion]

Vets (and dentists) have to study and train for about 8 years I think? And the equipment and medicines they use take highly qualified and experiences people ages to develop and test. Is it any wonder they’re expensive?

Whilst that's true as has been pointed out in the last few years the Vet business has become very corporate, and since private equity firms have become involved the prices have gone through the roof. Capitalists have realised there's a lot of money to be made from people who love their animals and the corporate Vet industry hasn't been slow to exploit this.

And pet insurance is the biggest con going. This is O/T but we've had dogs since 2000. Initially we had pet insurance, but having been caught a few times ("No, you're not covered for that any more") we decided to scrap the insurance and pay the premiums into a savings account instead, and we've used that account to pay all the medical, grooming and kennel costs that have arisen over the years. (We're also members of the Dogs' Trust which gets us 3rd party insurance if our dogs cause an accident). Also even though we agreed the account would be ring-fenced we've dipped into it for the odd grand every now and then. Despite all the withdrawals we currently we have just under £13,000 in it, so we feel quite smug that we've beaten the insurers at their own game.

 

[Me and my Monkey]

A few years ago my vet wanted to refer my dog to an eye specialist, at an initial cost of £200. This was to diagnose a condition which a quick Google search told me was harmless and untreatable. Any half decent vet should have been able to diagnose that without an expensive specialist referral. Also, another vet at the same practice decided that they should regularly be checking our cat's blood pressure (at £15 a pop) by wrapping a cuff around his tail and pumping it up. Well, you can only imagine what that might have done to his blood pressure. Unscrupulous practices preying on the vulnerabilities of anxious pet owners.

 

[Seagull27]

Private health and dentistry.
Estate agents and solicitors

On a slightly personal note the people who charge parents hundreds of pounds to help them win appeals by giving them all the same sheet of printed off questions and very little useful advice

At least with healthcare/dentistry/vets, you know that most of the time you have an expert with many years of training, doing something that is essential for you/your family.

Whereas the majority of estate agents and solicitors (in property) I've dealt with are largely incompetent and don't care about a good level of service once they've got their money, yet you have to pay them ridiculous sums of money to take a long time doing not very much because there isn't another option.

 

[mr sheen]

I've just had a £500 quote from a heating engineer for half a days work, including materials - about 2m of copper piping and a washer. Feels a bit steep

 

[Seagull27]

A few years ago my vet wanted to refer my dog to an eye specialist, at an initial cost of £200. This was to diagnose a condition which a quick Google search told me was harmless and untreatable. Any half decent vet should have been able to diagnose that without an expensive specialist referral. Also, another vet at the same practice decided that they should regularly be checking our cat's blood pressure (at £15 a pop) by wrapping a cuff around his tail and pumping it up. Well, you can only imagine what that might have done to his blood pressure. Unscrupulous practices preying on the vulnerabilities of anxious pet owners.

Reminds me of when our cat had a wound that wasn't healing properly. Paid out for a vet appointment (he has FIV, insurance companies won't touch him with a bargepole...) and two prescriptions for some antiseptic creams to put on the wound twice a day. 10 minutes of chasing the cat round the house, finally getting some of this stuff applied, but clearly the cream irritated him and led the stupid thing to scratch open the wound again. Repeat for a few days until we realised it was making things worse.

 

[zefarelly]

Insurance for me.

scare people into giving you their money then do your best to avoid giving any back.

religion works on a similar basis.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Whilst that's true as has been pointed out in the last few years the Vet business has become very corporate, and since private equity firms have become involved the prices have gone through the roof. Capitalists have realised there's a lot of money to be made from people who love their animals and the corporate Vet industry hasn't been slow to exploit this.

And pet insurance is the biggest con going. This is O/T but we've had dogs since 2000. Initially we had pet insurance, but having been caught a few times ("No, you're not covered for that any more") we decided to scrap the insurance and pay the premiums into a savings account instead, and we've used that account to pay all the medical, grooming and kennel costs that have arisen over the years. (We're also members of the Dogs' Trust which gets us 3rd party insurance if our dogs cause an accident). Also even though we agreed the account would be ring-fenced we've dipped into it for the odd grand every now and then. Despite all the withdrawals we currently we have just under £13,000 in it, so we feel quite smug that we've beaten the insurers at their own game.

Fair point. My comment was more a response to the general 'vets and dentists are expensive' comments.

I agree about insurance. A number of times I have been offered insurance for various things from hoover, washing machines to premiums to reduce car hire excess down to 0; the numbers are heavily stacked in favour of the insurer. Unless you are really unlucky and have a bad run it's better to do as you have done.

 

[Doonhamer7]

Have any of you costed up the dentist / vet. If you’ve got good enough grades to get to study dentistry or veterinary studies at Uni then you are expecting to earn a decent high earning professional salary - or maybe your doing it for the moral good of society

Take their salary multiple by say 1.45 (standard low range multiplier of professional services) to cover ‘social’ costs employer NI contribution, leave, sick, pension. Then add in dentistry / centenary nurse x 1.45, part time of receptionist cost, cost for the surgery, cost for materials, cost of plant (drill, x-ray) both capex and opex, training (requirement to practise), insurance, add factor for not being 100% busy - might be only 85% of their time. Long training education to get there etc. most of the costs aren’t a surprise to me.

The cost of vet prescriptions shows how heavily subsidised the nhs prescriptions are.

 

[METALMICKY]

Sadly supply and demand will over inflate certain roles or responsibilities over time. My dentist now charges £75 for a check up - and an appointment lasts barely 5 mins.

As you said maybe I should use my retirement to retrain as a dentist!

Have you tried to find an NHS dentist near you? For the basic check up that would only be £23.80

 

[Happy Exile]

I think dentists and vets also have hugely expensive equipment, as well as years of training and premises to pay for. They aren't the only professions to have this of course, but I would imagine their outgoings are probably quite high, certainly setting up. A relative of my other half goes to Poland for all his dentistry now if anything costing more than a couple of hundred quid needs doing and swears by it for the quality, and how much cheaper it is even factoring in a nice weekend away in Krakow into the cost. A Polish colleague of his helped him sort it out the first appointment and made sure it was all legitimate and he reckons he pays about 25% of what he'd pay here.

 

[GJN1]

Forget dentists and vets, I should have been a CHIMNEY SWEEP. Had mine done before Christmas. It was £65 for no more than 30 minutes and the sweep said he had 12 jobs to do that day, so nearly £800 per day.

Also said he has 12 weeks off every summer.

 

[Weststander]

Being party to business accounts for decades, I can confirm, in Sussex we're wash with:

- Millionaire vets. Who in addition, receive colossal proceeds of sale when they pass on the business to a national chain, we're talking multi £m's x a lot.
- Millionaire orthodontists in Brighton, Hove and Lewes. I saw a guy in Hove (not a client) whose annual profits were in excess of £1m and all his. Former neighbours' of ours moved from Sweden to the UK to work for an orthodondist in Lewes .... the guy was paid 6-figures for a 4 day week, just as a member of staff!
- Incredibly wealthy regular dentists and this goes back to at least the 90's. Even then, there was a husband and wife couple making £400k a year, from a mix of private and NHS work, that's £800k in real terms. And they moaned about it! Claiming that Major/Blair had screwed the income of dentists.

Going to the vets - if our cat's had a fight and is ill with an abscess and stays a night at our local vets - the bill's typically £800 (with no insurance).

 

[Justice]

I think dentists and vets also have hugely expensive equipment, as well as years of training and premises to pay for. They aren't the only professions to have this of course, but I would imagine their outgoings are probably quite high, certainly setting up. A relative of my other half goes to Poland for all his dentistry now if anything costing more than a couple of hundred quid needs doing and swears by it for the quality, and how much cheaper it is even factoring in a nice weekend away in Krakow into the cost. A Polish colleague of his helped him sort it out the first appointment and made sure it was all legitimate and he reckons he pays about 25% of what he'd pay here.

This, when you seek help from a professional you are paying for more than just the visit, I can diagnose problems within minutes sometimes when the DIYer has spent hours scratching his head, searching on Google etc. I sometimes get the I’m in the wrong job or can you employ me quips. Get 35 years experience endless expensive college courses and come back to me I reply in a jokey manner.

 

[Weststander]

Whilst that's true as has been pointed out in the last few years the Vet business has become very corporate, and since private equity firms have become involved the prices have gone through the roof. Capitalists have realised there's a lot of money to be made from people who love their animals and the corporate Vet industry hasn't been slow to exploit this.

And pet insurance is the biggest con going. This is O/T but we've had dogs since 2000. Initially we had pet insurance, but having been caught a few times ("No, you're not covered for that any more") we decided to scrap the insurance and pay the premiums into a savings account instead, and we've used that account to pay all the medical, grooming and kennel costs that have arisen over the years. (We're also members of the Dogs' Trust which gets us 3rd party insurance if our dogs cause an accident). Also even though we agreed the account would be ring-fenced we've dipped into it for the odd grand every now and then. Despite all the withdrawals we currently we have just under £13,000 in it, so we feel quite smug that we've beaten the insurers at their own game.

Very knowledgeable post!

 

[Swansman]

Professional footballer Agents, money for old rope.

True that in a lot of cases. Some work really really hard though, rarely if ever at home and pretty much on duty 24/7.

Otherwise another vote for vets and dentists. Pure robbery... we have pretty much the cheapest healthcare in the world, but dentists are every bit as expensive as over there.

 

[Weststander]

I've just had a £500 quote from a heating engineer for half a days work, including materials - about 2m of copper piping and a washer. Feels a bit steep

Are you in the Brighton area? I just used a recommended heating engineer, pleased with their work and not a rip off.

 

[Brok]

I've just had a £500 quote from a heating engineer for half a days work, including materials - about 2m of copper piping and a washer. Feels a bit steep

I've just been quoted £200 for eight legs of venison. I thought that was two deer.

 

[sydney]

Not literally but interested to know what industries have made you say that. Had to take the cat to the vet yesterday - very listless and off his food which never happens. And a very upset mum so off I went. Don't get me wrong, they are great. Got him home last night after antibiotics and a blood test which led to thyroid medication and a couple of other jabs. Much more himself now.

Decided that as it would likely be around £200, I would make a judgement call on using insurance which is £99 excess and 20% co payment. Needn't have worried as it was £410!

Every 2 injections were £18. That doesn't include the medicine. Cost of him staying there for 8 hours? £40. £120 gets you a half decent hotel room. Blood test was £150. Doesn't take many of them to pay for the machine. Maybe modern costs for staff mean it is fair but seems a tad steep.

So what other industries do you feel use the same mark up because they can? Beer at big events and service stations taken as read.

my cat got bitten by a snake and went into renal failure , the vet sedated it , gave it an antivenin , and commenced an IV flushing process by drip to remove the protein poisoning as quickly as possible , it didn't work , the cat died , we got a bill for 1800 bucks and a dead cat wrapped up in a towel.