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

He's legally the most important person in the nation so I'm not surprised by it, other than the fact that such a role even exists and is actually celebrated in the 21st century.

Inequality is a very British value but not one I can support.

There is a two week pathway in the NHS.
What are you trying to achieve here?

I started my NHS treatment 7 days after diagnosis. It’s not that unusual for treatment to start quickly.

"Stunned" that the King is getting immediate treatment?
What the fuck did you expect?

I don't think he is getting special treatment in terms of timing. I think he is in London where the medical facilities are very much better and swifter than in other parts of the UK. My London-based father's cancer treatment started a week after it was found. He is also not the king.

What did you expect tho?

The man is an entire king!

The quicker we all wrap our heads around the fact that he's not just some random bloke, the less irritated we'll all be about this topic.

I had to and now it makes a bit more sense to me and I'm not so irritated.

My best friend got diagnosed with bowel cancer. Her treatment started pretty much immediately. She was getting treatment within a couple of weeks of her initially going to her GP. We were amazed how quick it all was

Possibly depends on the area you're in too

But that aside it's not really surprising that any very wealthy person, King or otherwise, is going to be able to pay for the very best, very quick treatment

My Father started treatment for his cancer within a week. And that's in a rural county far away from London.

We live in the South East and we cannot fault the NHS for all kinds of treatment. I had a 'scare' last year and had endoscopy, biopsy results and treatment within two weeks from seeing GP.

This is excellent to hear :)

Agree. All politicians and their families and also the royals should use the NHS.

I had a tumour in my colon, ct and mri scan on the Friday, where it was discovered and removed on the Saturday. NHS in Scotland.

My dad was having brain surgery 16 days after he saw his GP. Radiotherapy followed within days. Dad was no royal. He wasn't paying privately either. It was NHS and was at The Christie.
The King of our country gets immediate medical treatment? Who's surprised? He's. A. King. 🫤

Charles would probably still be trying to get a GP appointment.

I find it more annoying when MPs have a total lack of awareness of the situation general public face. The king doesn't really have the same power to change things, but I appreciate him going private and not closing nhs wards with security & taking up extra staff time just to make a point.

That's terrible about ESA payments as thought they were supposed to fastrack cancer/ terminal conditions. Although I remember seeing an article about someone with terminal condition who didn't die soon enough so had hassle from DWP about going back to work.

My friend was treated in the London Clinic a few years ago, they were using the personalised chemotherapy that is now being used in some places on the NHS. (Her husband had extremely good insurance through his job.)

The two week pathway doesn't mean treatment starts within that time frame. It took months from diagnosis to treatment starting for my husband and it took months to get the diagnosis in the first place despite being told at his very first meeting "I am as sure as I can be that this is cancer, we just need to work out what cancer it is".

I agree. The royal family just drive the hideous inequalities/class system in England that continue to get worse... And the bbc earlier today devoted 7 top news stories too it....its awful for him but one story would do.

And a very rich man.

Also, given all his prior campaigning for voodoo instead of medicine, shouldn't he rather be prescribed homeopathic sugar pills?

Sadly the inequalities are also different depending on which NHS trust you’re within. Your experience is just not typical of where we are, my poor Dad waited MONTHS to start treatment which was palliative chemo and just too late - heartbreaking

Rich people get private healthcare, everyone else gets NHS.
There is nothing new or unusual to be stunned at.
Yes you’ve had a horrendous time but you can’t blame those with plenty of cash opting for better healthcare.

Visited GP with seemingly minor and varied symptoms. Series of blood tests over next 5 days. Fast track appt to a gynaecologist. Saw gynaecologist 7 days later after having had a MRI and CT scan. Had majorsurgery a week later and was seen by an oncologist and chemo started as soon as it was possible. Can't fault the speed and the chemo dept however the ward was a nightmare. Poor hygiene, incompetent nurses, admin staff clueless, wrong drugs, no empathy from nursing staff and the food was horrendous! An unbuttered slice of cheap white bread and a slice of sweaty processed cheese does not a sandwich make, and the breakfast sausage made Richmond look gourmet!

My mum too. A biopsy a week after a scan and surgery 10 days later. NHS. All very quick.

It was 16 weeks from being red flagged to seing consultant in NI for suspected ovarian cancer. Than God it was negative.

Where have you pulled the 2-4 months from? I know 4 people who have had cancer this last year and every one was treated as soon as diagnosed.

Maybe it's not postcode, but severity or type of cancer, maybe you have picked up on some sort of diagnostic delay like "people wait 2-4 months from first noticing a lump to getting it seen."