Prince Philip

[Biscoffaddict]

Just head that Prince Charles has been to visit him in hospital due to ‘exceptional circumstances’. He’s never visited him in hospital before and apparently left looking emotional. It doesn’t look good does it? I wonder how this will play out given the pandemic?

Has the Queen been to visit him ?

@LaurieFairyCake

Has the Queen been to visit him ?

Not that the media has reported. Considering the required security and current pandemic, I’d be surprised if she does.

Well it's a bit sad, he sounds really quite ill - I hope she can

I hope that PP recovers and celebrates his 100th birthday in style.

Anybody who has ever experienced what it is like to have Pneumonia (as I have) would very likely disagree about it being anybody's friend

Its called that not because it is a pleasant thing to have, but rather, it is often what finishes off very very very old people who already have multiple painful, debilitating and life limiting illnesses already and are already in immense suffering. That is the context in which it is called "the old mans friend". Having watched my father suffer and die
for months and months with dementia where he could no longer swallow without choking, was completely disorientated, had bed sores, was doubly incontinent and lost all semblance of his dignity, pneumonia would have been a swift and blessed relief for him and if it had enabled him to have a peaceful and swift death rather than that horrific suffering for months then I would have given him pneumonia myself if I had been able to. His life was already a daily torture for him at that point.

[quote thetell]@stairway Why? I can't imagine Meghan has much sympathy for the overtly racist & sexist members of the royal family she had to endure or the ones who appear to be pedophiles either (not yet proved.) She doesn't have to any more.[/quote]
Wasn't he supposed to be very supportive of her when she joined the RF? Two foreigners marrying into the Royal Family so he understood better than most how difficult that could be. He was also supposed to be very close to Harry. Can't imagine not having sympathy for him but I suppose it takes all sorts.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'Barts is not a private hospital; it;s a public NHS hospital.'

Yes we know that. The brolly thing was as he left the private one.

'honestly don't want to get into speculation here, but it seems safe to assume a hospital which deals with some very high profile people will have screens to use if they choose - after all if hotels can do it I'm pretty sure a private hospital can'

Well a private drive in transfer bay or similar then if wheeling out screens is too time consuming. A row of umbrellas just seemed so amateurish and ridiculous. Come on private hospitals get your arses in gear. Can't be the first time a famous person has needed a transfer 🙄

@GetOffYourHighHorse If you knew the layout of the KE V11 you would know that what they did with the umbrellas was fine.

The back entrance where he came out (and Charles went in) is down a narrow mews with barely enough room for the ambulance and the security cars.

It IS in effect a private drive. Have a look on google street view and you will understand.

Have a look at the front too, and you will see how your ideas aren't workable.

DH went into hospital early lockdown for a private hernia repair. Only what we didn't realise about private hospitals is that they have no facilities for rescuscitation or acute/intensive therapy if you need it. You're transferred to an NHS hospital for that and possibly mid surgery if you're unlucky. DH was in theatre and was found to be very unwell with an undiagnosed cardiac condition - thankfully the anaesthetist made the decision to not go ahead. And we realised what a bloody con private healthcare is - you're paying for fancy hotel facilities and the most basic medical care. We cancelled our policies pretty sharpish.

It's not necessarily doom and gloom that they've moved him, but there are probably few 99 year olds out there without some degree of heart failure.

Only what we didn't realise about private hospitals is that they have no facilities for rescuscitation or acute/intensive therapy if you need it.

@missbridgerton Don't think all private hospitals have no ICU.

The KE V11 does have ICU beds for post operative care. Obviously they don't take in patients who may need very extensive support post-op but they are very well equipped.

@DobbyTheHouseElk

Unfortunately, private hospitals do not have an A&E dept. So in case of emergency they have to call 999 for an ambulance.

One reason why my friends who work in the NHS won’t have have private healthcare.

When I was booked into our local NHS midwife led birthing centre, my BF (an A&E consultant)asked me to find out how long it would take for the crash team to get to me in an emergency.

I found your post quite interesting Dobby. I've learned something.

It's things like this you don't think of if you don't know. Y'know? When you're making decisions.

If you want a nice room to yourself and nice food, you are much better off in a private hospital. And you don't have to wait for treatment.

Anything difficult or unusual, you are usually better off with the NHS (with rare exceptions). And if something goes wrong and you need emergency help, you would usually be far better placed in an NHS bed.

[quote thetell]@stairway Why? I can't imagine Meghan has much sympathy for the overtly racist & sexist members of the royal family she had to endure or the ones who appear to be pedophiles either (not yet proved.) She doesn't have to any more.[/quote]
I can't imagine thinking like this.

Private health care is useful for minor issues where waiting times are long such as physiotherapy, dermatology, some gynae and urology issues.
Like folks say there are normally no ICU.
My experience is that 3 out of 5 minor procedures I had ended with complication or infection. I would not choose to go under a knife again privately. Never had issues NHS. .

I would never pay for it upfront. Too expensive and too many exceptions. I get it through my company and pay tax benefit in kind so cheaper. As I am nearly 60 I get my monies worth from being able to access physio etc.

Poor bugger

I do wonder if the vaccine has hastened his demise. It has caused problems in a number of very frail people

Anything difficult or unusual, you are usually better off with the NHS (with rare exceptions). And if something goes wrong and you need emergency help, you would usually be far better placed in an NHS bed.

It really does depend on the hospital.

Yes, very major heart surgery etc is possible better in the NHS in a specialist hospital.

But many of the London private hospitals are very well equipped and usually have zero infection rates.

Personal (family) experience of them and also know that some do have ICU beds.

@derxa I don't feel like this and clearly I wouldn't want to behave like that to my own GFIL and GMIL (if I had any!)
But I can see it from both sides, how she might feel that she has had an awful time herself with her husband's family and been offended by some of the racism that has historically been associated with them, reported widely and captured on film. We know so little of what went on behind closed doors but it was always going to be the toughest family to marry in to and remain true to yourself in.

However I suspect what it will really boil down to is that they don't have any sway over the scheduling of the interview at this late date - they have sold their story and it isn't theirs anymore and CBS will make the call, although I would imagine they can at least state their case. I think that this broadcasting giants are very powerful and might not change their scheduling even for the British royal family.

But I can see it from both sides, how she might feel that she has had an awful time herself with her husband's family and been offended by some of the racism that has historically been associated with them, reported widely and captured on film. We know so little of what went on behind closed doors but it was always going to be the toughest family to marry in to and remain true to yourself in. She had no problem with her husband calling a fellow soldier 'my little P* friend' then

Loveyourusername I completely agree. ICUs are state of the art with one to one care. Also Consultant care, sometimes several teams depending on health issues.

@Nith

Hang on, we don't know how unwell he is - I mean clearly something is up, but we have no reason to think he in in a particularly bad way

He's 99, he's had heart problems for years, he's been in hospital for much longer than he has ever been before, and is being moved to a specialist unit. It's unlikely that he's got a bit of a sniffle, isn't it?

I wasn't suggesting a bit of a sniffle.

He's clearly unwell enough to need to be in hospital. But that still covers a huge range of levels of seriousness, and does not necessarily mean he's moribund

@derxa I am sure she did have a problem with it - but it seems at least like he is rethinking his past since meeting her, in all sorts of ways, and I am guessing he might well have apologised about that to her. You get the feeling he is on a journey of self discovery that only being free from living a life of having to pretend to be something you don't really believe in has allowed him to really focus on.
I don't think we will see any apologies from Prince Andrew any time soon, imagine having to sit next to him at a family meal!!!!!
It was never going to work was it - a bright, independent, self made woman who had spoken out about all sorts of things she cared about before joining this family. She was never going to want to adapt herself to live that life, just a shame she couldn't see it herself before it was too late - but we have to presume that they love each other and would have wanted to make a go of it even if she had seen how desperately unhappy the whole stifling existence was going to make her. They are surely allowed to make mistakes like we all are?

I do wonder if the vaccine has hastened his demise. It has caused problems in a number of very frail people

Really, where did you hear that from? I've not known of any. I'm a geriatrician.

Alexis so sorry you had to witness that awful end to life.

Why oh why do we think it's OK to force people, each other to suffer at end like this! It will be you and me one day folks. Then our dc dying long agonising deaths.. When there is absolutely no hope of recovery. Its in humane and barbaric.

Re Philip.. I can't see what they can do to fix such an ELDERY man.

[quote thetell]@derxa I am sure she did have a problem with it - but it seems at least like he is rethinking his past since meeting her, in all sorts of ways, and I am guessing he might well have apologised about that to her. You get the feeling he is on a journey of self discovery that only being free from living a life of having to pretend to be something you don't really believe in has allowed him to really focus on.
I don't think we will see any apologies from Prince Andrew any time soon, imagine having to sit next to him at a family meal!!!!!
It was never going to work was it - a bright, independent, self made woman who had spoken out about all sorts of things she cared about before joining this family. She was never going to want to adapt herself to live that life, just a shame she couldn't see it herself before it was too late - but we have to presume that they love each other and would have wanted to make a go of it even if she had seen how desperately unhappy the whole stifling existence was going to make her. They are surely allowed to make mistakes like we all are?[/quote]
I wish them well as I would anyone but I don't understand why you care so much. They seem to be like a football team that some people support to the death. It doesn't make any sense.

@derxa I think I just feel for any people who find themselves in a really bad mental health situation. I struggle to deal with my own Facebook life sometimes, I can't imagine my family life, personality, relationship issues being attacked with a cleaver by the press just because it sells papers (really really sells, they are the biggest selling thing which is why you see 5 articles in a row in the same Daily Mail edition, they are paper selling gold, even more so than the Cambridges)
This sort of attention is beyond barbaric - not just for them, for all of the Royals. But where I have no sympathy at all for Andrew because potential criminals do need holding to account - this young couple were just finding their feet, getting married, having their first baby which is a tumultuous time for anyone, they seemed to be trying their best, and clearly she didn't have the best personality fit for a life of planting rose bushes in the rain outside village halls in Suffolk, but I don't think that means they are bad people.

@SpringisSpinning

Thank you.

I agree- I truly cannot understand why on earth anyone would want to keep someone going in that state. Its just utterly cruel.

Quality of life is just as important as quantity.