Cancer inequality - Charles

[notknowledgeable]

Obviously I know life is unfair, but even so I am stunned. Treatment starts the same week he is diagnosed? Most of us have to wait 2-4 months. And I don't expect he will be directed to food banks when the DWP repeatedly stuffs up his ESA claim either

I recently came across the NHS screening system for Hepatitis C.
its actually a disease that is difficult to catch apart from blood to blood contact but as a healthcare professional, where sharps injuries occasionally happen it is a real risk.
I ended up with a sharps injury while treating a patient with terminal cancer last year. I did the risk assessment and patient had a history of hep c. The advice is to wait 3 months before testing and accessing the test via occupational health is complicated. I was looking at private testing when I discovered the NHS site. I ordered the test, it arrived within 48hrs. I sent it back the same day and received the result in 24hrs. Fortunately it was negative.
There are a lot of tests available via NHS a) if you know where to look and b) if you are eligible.
I think that this form of screening will be the way forward since it cuts out the GP but the results are available for them to act on. So much time is wasted on the “worried well“. Simple screening would help the NHS free up time for the real sick and any abnormality is flagged up to the GP to act on. Even if a test isn’t available without referral a private system that allows patients to reassure themselves would help reduce the overload we are seeing today.

Would you prefer he opt for treatment by the NHS? When he can afford to pay for private treatment? I'm sure he would be criticised for using the NHS when he can afford to pay and many people have commented that they know of cancer being diagnosed and NHS treatment starting immediately anyway.

Basically, he'll be criticised whatever he does.

I tried phoning emailing my GP practice and even tweeting them. First e mailed them last May about a change in bowel habits. Still waiting although i think ive solved the problem It seems to be lactose intolerance. The point is though they still havent got back to me. People keep saying it but the patient blamers dont want to hear it THE PROBLEM IS GETTING PAST THE GP OR EVEN GETTING TO THE GP/ A BLOODY APPOINTMENT

@MistressoftheDarkSide
Using anecdotal evidence from the 90s is harking back 30 years. The evidence today is that more people in the UK are surviving cancer than ever before. Again and again the message is to take advantage of screening programmes. If your FIL died of bowel cancer make sure your husband has regular screening. If you are concerned about yourself or elderly relatives for specific reason, request full bloods.
I think I am right in saying that clinical trials for new drugs are more likely to be offered through the NHS as part of a research programme than through private health insurance.

Yes the clinical trials are NHS but there are ways of registering you as an NHS patient for the purpose of trials whilst still being a private patient. Certainly this is what happened with us. You’d prob need your consultant to be doing NHS work too and they’d put you into their NHS clinic alongside the private one. This was all at the Marsden so may be different elsewhere

The Yorkshire Post getting their arse handed to them on a plate on Twitter for criticising those bringing up cancer inequality.

https://x.com/yorkshirepost/status/1754579005867434232?s=20

His treatment may well be in a luxurious private hospital. He may well pay through the nose for it, where he will sit in a comfy chair in a beautifully decorated room while staff attend to his every need; cups of tea or coffee, biscuits from Fortnum & Mason, the latest copy of House and Hound by his side. That's what his wealth is paying for.

But if he's having chemo, the drugs dropped into his veins will be just the same as I had on the NHS and while I hope they are effective, I also hope he doesn't suffer the worst of the side effects because they are awful and can be life changing.

Not everything is better because you pay to go private.

2-4 months. My brother was operated on within 2 weeks and into chemo 2 weeks later as they realised he still had markers (they thought they’d got it all). Obviously it takes a few weeks to analyse the tests/scans and decide best treatments.

I can add experience of private cancer care. My Mum was treated privately for oesophageal cancer. She had a nice room with an en-suite in a big London hospital. The insurance company wouldn't agree to a PET scan. Had she had it, she wouldn't have had to go through pointless and traumatic surgery because the scan would have revealed that the cancer was beyond anything but palliative care. They argued the cost of everything. I don't think it was worth it at all. She would have had the same treatment AND the scan on the NHS. As I said in a previous post, I could not have wished for better care during my own cancer journey and that was during the first year of the pandemic.

well, I have always taken full advantage of every screening offered, and it didn't help me

I had a growth scan at 30ish weeks pregnant, they saw a shadow on my bladder with a blood flow on a Tuesday, referred me to urology that night, I got a call from urology the next day they booked me in for a cystosopy for that Saturday, saw a tumour believed to be low grade cancer, decided they couldn’t remove it until after I had my baby and it wasn’t urgent enough to risk my baby by getting him out then, I was induced so I didn’t go over, i had him on a Sunday was given 6weeks to heal from my emergency C-section and 6 weeks 1day after I had my boy I was in getting the cancer removed. Grade 2 bladder cancer at 28 extremely rare I didn’t have symptoms and it was all dealt with extremely quickly the only delay was my pregnancy. I’ll now have to get regular check ups to make sure it’s fully gone and stays away but my experience has been positive. I’m sure people do wait ages but I didn’t and that was fully through the nhs no private treatment. Private patients will always get seen sooner as the waiting lists are much shorter and they’re paying for the treatment. Obviously the fact he’s the King means he will get the best healthcare available the same with the other royals and celebrities/ the ultra wealthy who pay for that care.
The nhs should be funded enough that everyone is able to receive top quality treatment in a timely fashion

If you feel u to it the Guardian online is looking for peoples experiences who have been diagnosed with cancer the same week as the king.

It's good to hear everything is fine and dandy with the NHS and there was I thinking that it was on its uppers. 😶

How tasteful of the guardian

Apart from the OP wasn't suggesting that at all.

Its right and proper he gets treated promptly but we should too.

Its a scandal we have to wait (on average) months for diags/tests and treatment, long term sickness is one reason we have so many people not working, who could be adding to the GDP of the country.

NB Averages mean some get treated sooner, others later before someone says "oh i got treated before i was even diagnosed..."

pp sound positively disappointed patients aren’t being left to rot with cancer - and this might be one area of the nhs that is working well. Some are always looking for that bad news story. I like to think they are journos and not messed up posters looking for an endless doom loop.

It’s 2 weeks for cancer my friend, not months.

@Newchapterbeckons thats the target to see a specialist in an urgent case, the target for treatment to begin is 62 days, which is in many cases exceeded.

The number waiting more than the 62-day target time for therapy in the past year has topped 69,000 across England

what is "Droid"? ah i see you removed that gem.

What are you talking about! The tests are within a two week window. For everyone. The cancer pathway has been used very sadly by several members of my family and friends recently and all were within this time frame.

You said tests and diagnosis. That is my reply.

Stop with the endless pursuit of misery and chasing bad news. The King has cancer and this whole thread is fucking horrible and shameful.

I am out of this thread because it says everything about a persons character to be so explicitly cruel. Cancer is a monster regardless of who you are - you will not be spared if it is aggressive regardless of how much money you have.

The coffin chasers on here fuelled by other peoples misery, fear and pain repulse me. It’s not okay.

Haven't read the full thread but I've seen comments of a similar theme all over Facebook since the news broke. It's grim. And stupid. Of course he will get special treatment, he's the king! Anyone with money can choose to go private and get treatment much sooner. It's not fair, but it's life.

I find it so distasteful that rather than sympathising with someone whose just been diagnosed with this horrible disease people are jumping on him and attacking him for how quickly he's getting treated. Treatment which may or may not work btw, because cancer doesn't discriminate and no amount of money or status means he'll automatically be ok.

If you want someone to blame for the long waits in the NHS look at the tories who have underfunded it for years and consequently fucked it right up. Don't blame those who are able for whatever reason to get quicker treatment. If you were able to you would too. We aren't all equal and life isn't fair.

My first reply said its right and proper KC got prompt treatment.

Anecdotal is great but its not everyones experience, the 2 week target is a referral target from GP to a specialist who will, if required put one on a waiting list for tests and treatment, that target is 62 days, often missed.

Seeing a GP is a bit of a mission too.

Report the thread if you think its Horrible and shameful.

If you want someone to blame for the long waits in the NHS look at the tories who have underfunded it for years and consequently fucked it right up

Take a look at the Welsh NHS. It's in a far worse state than in England so don't believe for one minute that Labour will do any better. Things are only going to get worse.

I'm really glad that so many people have been seen and treated so quickly for Cancer. This is how it should be for everyone regardless of wealth. But please don't disbelieve those of us, like OP, who haven't been so lucky. It's more common than you might think at the moment.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68240096

I have been put on this regards a Endescopy.
Had an appointment due last Thursday so went there but they had to postpone it and I would get a call re a re book.
They did call yesterday and I am being seen on the 14th now (a day before it will have been 2 weeks since my Doctor appointment).
I did ask for a morning appointment but the Man said there wasn't any until the following week and I have to be seen Tuesday or they can be sued for being in Breach (of the two week pathway I presume).

I just want it done now as I am worried to be fair . I previously had a skin cancer.