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

This

I will never afford private healthcare or get a mortgage or even a car but it is what it is. It's Life.

As my Nan always said re those with Wealth,, "What's the difference if you are the richest body in the graveyard or the poorest?"

I'm in London - nearly 3 months between diagnosis and treatment starting

Beatrice is on her way though, so we're all saved

Ok

So can I ask

If I took out a good policy
How much quicker would I be seen?

Would it not cost a fortune?

If you had private health cover as one of your perks at work, wouldn’t you use it? You’re being silly.

How long is a piece of string 🤣

where have I "pulled" it from? My experience, the experience of people I chat to in hospital waiting rooms in oncology, the people I've had chemo with, etc

DP was first put on rapid referral in May... op end of Sept, chemo Oct. Now told it all started too late and not sure if it's worth continuing.

I don't wish cancer on anyone but I think what news like this does is really remind those of us who aren't so fortunate just how much of a delta there is between the haves and have nots and how things might be so very different for our much loved family members if only we were richer.

I don't find it in poor taste to be able to openly discuss this issue as sadly it is one that impacts so many of us.

Do you have idea of the cost of taking this out until age 75, I'm sure only the elite can afford it anyway!

Ridiculous suggestion!

So your saying if you won the lottery, had money coming out your earholes and then received a cancer diagnosis you'd refuse rapid private care and go down the NHS route with the rest of the plebs cos otherwise it would be unfair? Course you wouldn't. Some people have, some people do not. Such is life.

I'm going to say this again, because I think it is worth people knowing.

I had critical illness cover. I also had given POA to my eldest.

If I had NOT given POA to my eldest, I would NOT have got my critical illness payout. It took about 9 months, in which time I had no income at all, but I did have critical illness cover.

The insurance company made us fight tooth and nail for it, at a time when I was not able to fight at all, and my son had to do it with POA.

I was entitled to benefits, but that took many months, too, with the DWP directing me to foodbanks in the mean time ( while I was bedbound)

(Eventually, we got the money - obviously it helped pay debts etc, but it was less money than I would have earnt if I had still been working)

What I am saying is don't rely on critical illness cover, don't rely on benefits ,do have some savings easily accessible and do have POA in place, even if you are young and healthy

Of course his treatment is fast/private but my NHS treatment was pretty good, certainly nothing to complain about.

I had routine screening on day 1
Biopsy & diagnosis on day 3
Various tests day 9 & 12
Met Surgeon on day 20
Surgery on day 43
chemo started 60 days later

I was pretty happy with that. It took time to get my head around it all.

I have private health insurance but the care on the NHS is better, more joined up, fewer holes. Better support. No private rooms but I couldn't care less about that.

I very much hope KC gets better and that his treatment is as painless as possible.

But let’s not ignore the staggering hypocrisy here, him and the whole of the royal family are prepared to clap for the NHS, give endless sound bites, cut ribbons on hospitals and invite a few chosen nurses to a garden party a couple of times a year but they aren’t prepared to set foot in an NHS hospital for their own care. Not even for relatively low risk stuff.

It’s exactly the same with state schools, all the right words but can anyone name a royal who hasn’t been to an expensive private school?

During the pandemic I had to have fairly urgent surgery - I had to go to a private hospital that had been requisitioned by the NHS. The room was nice with own toilet - the food was nice china teapot at breakfast time ! But the nurses were not at all friendly refused to get me a wheelchair to the front entrance ( a long walk) when I went home even though I had surgical drain in. Insisted i vacated the room by 10.00am.hRefused to let my husband come in to collect me and made a fuss about him pulling up outside the front entrance to pick me up so I did not have to walk across the car park.
I put in a complaint which they acknowledged that in future they would make it clear in advance to the NHS patients that 10.00am checkout was expected and there was only basic help with personal care getting dressed etc On morning of discharge because ' they don't have the same staffing levels as NHS wards"
It put me off ever paying for hospital care.

True but most people aren’t funded by the taxpayer or historic privilege- they at least have to earn their money, and not just be born royal.

My mother’s cancer was diagnosed on a Friday, and her surgery took place the following Thursday. My aunt’s within 2 weeks. My friend’s three days after diagnosis. All on the NHS.

It's private healthcare of course he skipped the wait. You don't wait when you go private. My friend works for a private cancer treatment centre and everyone gets seen really quickly.

The playwright Alan Bennet paid for his cancer treatment privately and, felt somewhat guilty about it.
I'm not sure the NHS would want to treat royalty and government ministers as some people have suggested here. The practicalities of security and press intrusion would be a total pain to deal with; when people like the king go private they're not only paying for the best treatment -they're paying to preserve their privacy too.
Why are people blaming His Kingness anyway? If he went on the NHS the cry would up that he's stealing a resource that somebody poorer could use. Blame the government.

He's the KING of course he's going to get quick treatment. Did you expect him to be in the queue for the NHS dentist aswell

Yes, the NHS is not so good anymore because we have too many people using it and taxing less people coming here and billionaires and companies than we should. What do people think happens with so many people living here now? Magic hospitals and schools with more people taking benefits than ever. However, the King is receiving private treatment. Anyone who prioritises their health can have it through private insurance. There are affordable plans so I would not cry over the NHS and see how I can help my family with their health issues prevention. As for the extremely poor people they still have the NHS and in some parts it works well.

My child has cancer. Her chemotherapy started the same day she was diagnosed…less than 24 hours after I first took her to the GP. All NHS.

To be honest OP I thought the same. We should all get good healthcare. The fact is if he was a binman he’d be on some waiting list for initial investigations and be non the wiser that he had cancer. Probably for quite a while and assuming that the doctor he eventually saw was thorough enough to catch something unrelated.

I prioritise my healthcare. The only PMI who would quote for me wanted £13k per annum. I wouldn't say that was affordable to many people.

Sadly that's not my friends experience, she's still getting awful treatment and cancelled appointments, 14 months on.

Her daughter now is literally living on borrowed time.

@Bululu thats an insanely tone deaf thing to say. There are literally millions of people in this country who couldn’t even come close to being able to afford private healthcare - it’s a huge expense and that’s even if you’re young and healthy. If you’re middle aged or elderly or have any health conditions costs rise exponentially 😩.