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 guess it is a postcode lottery but I also think severity of cancer comes in to it.

I was referred on a 2 week wait got diagnosed very quickly and surgery also booked in quickly. I had the same surgeons and oncologists as practice privately on Harley street.

The only difference is I would have had my chemo in a nice setting and a nice private room after a double mastectomy (instead of being in a very noisy ward). That’s it I think. I had to go to A&E anyway with some nasty infections and be admitted. I don’t think they would have been dealt with privately. I couldn’t fault the NHS treatment I had back then and I didn’t pay a penny.

This was 10 years ago and maybe things have changed. But he’s the King of England- he will be constantly having more check ups than all of us. Things will be caught early and his health prioritised. That’s just how it is .

Its ironic that someone who has led such an (allegedly) privileged life now has cancer.

Nothing like illness as a leveller.

@joelmillersbackpack that's not true.

He probably had a pet scan because of his prostate. That picks up anomalies. I was having treatment for a tumour in my bowel and my pet picked up incidental thyroid cancer. I had no symptoms. Had surgery a week later to have it all removed and it had spread to my lymph nodes.

The NHS may be a postcode lottery but my treatment has always been top notch and quick.

Have you not heard of private healthcare? Are you also annoyed the King has a bigger house than you?

And pre-existing medical conditions aren’t covered.

You need to consider carefully what you post in haste. Think about it!
I will assist if you don't mind, please read below.

If our King had gone NHS, the cost to taxpayers like me would have been tens of thousands of pounds higher, EG, security provision for the King. Therefore, treatment at home is far more sensible if it can be provided on the same level as in a hospital.

I had to wait 45 days for bc surgery. Government target is 30 days. 4 month wait for chemo.

I don't think it's shameful to discuss inequalities in treatment.

For an appointment. Not for tests and treatment.

I started chemo a few weeks ago.

The staff barely spoke to me. Treated me like an object. A real lack of care.

It's now a four week pathway that includes testing and a diagnosis/all clear. Which I think is much better.

My late husband was diagnosed with a rare cancer. NHS offered him a bit of palliative chemo.

went home and identified a private specialist in that cancer and saw them that evening. Whilst in the office they called another specialist who was an expert in that niche cancer who saw him the following morning. By lunchtime his MRI was couriered over to Harley street for a second opinion. 2 days later he was given 4 options of treatment the first of which started that day.

He had appointments every 4 weeks with the consultant and scans each 4-6 weeks. We had the consultants email and mobile number.

we never waited more than 24 hours for scan results and when he was diagnosed with brain mets he had an MRI the same day with treatment starting the next day

he had 3 drugs which the NHS wouldn’t fund and which worked for over a year. We also had a second opinion from a specialist in the US who the consultant knew

when he was finally in the last stages of the disease he had a beautiful private room with 24/7 care. He was treated with the utmost dignity and respect from the moment we walked through the doors of the hospital after diagnosis to the moment I walked out without him. His consultant phoned me after this death to check up on me

i truly don’t think we would have got this level of care, attention and treatment on the NHS. It took so much additional stress and pressure off us and I know that we left no stone unturned and he had a good quality of life for as long as he could

I agree!

Absolutely agree. The NHS is so shit atm, with most people not getting the basic level of care; ie getting an actual appointment to even see a GP. I get he has cancer, but I’m sick of seeing the media already, going into meltdown, fawning over how brave and stoic he is. There are many people suffering from cancer who aren’t getting the treatment they should be, and it must grate on them that it’s all over the press how early it was found, and treatment has started immediately, when the reality is totally different for others.

I currently have 2 friends with stage 4 cancer. Both started treatment very quickly after diagnosis. Both NHS.

Let's not pretend that if you were very wealthy you wouldn't pay for a more enhanced service because we all would.

Well this is why no other developed country has followed the NHS model. It’s no longer for for purpose.

How do you know he's very ill with cancer, Kate is recuperating probably for a lot longer than any had with her situation can, because they can't afford childcare or time off work, so why are you saying she's incapacitated!

Who would notice the difference if she were? Would Wills be knocking up spag Bol for the kids after work, or walking the dogs before the school run? Or doing everyone's packed lunch?

Give over!

And that’s no one’s fault. We have 70 million plus living on this small island. It can’t be everything to everyone.

A lot of gaslighting going on around this issue I turned 50 last year (last June) and am still waiting for my mammogram invite. Im not the only one either.

My dad had a very expensive and specialist operation 2 weeks after diagnosis, I was flabbergasted and so impressed and grateful as honestly didn’t think they would be prioritising a 75 year old man. Had two more ops and chemo and immunotherapy. All within matter of months. Maybe it’s where you live? I was astounded by how amazing and quickly he was treated.

He's the fucking King mate 😆Obviously it's not fair, nothing about being born into that sort of privilege is fair but it's hardly surprising is it.

They do treat in hotel like hospitals. Especially where he is. They have state of the art chemotherapy suites. I suspect they would have cleared an entire floor for him. They do for Middle Eastern Royalty. You also have more chemotherapy options in Private Hospitals in the UK than on the NHS.

I'm currently going through chemo and yes, it's a bit annoying that there is the inequality but not surprising. That said, the search for my cancer - they were convinced it was there but couldn't find it and scanned and scanned and scanned until they were putting a feeding tube in and had one last look from a different angle and found it - was more than I could have hoped for. Diagnosed in December, treatment started early January and the care I've been getting is incredible. Is his treatment better than mine? No, I'm not sure how it could be given how good mine is.

I think for a lot of us going through it and the friends and family of people going through it, the reporting is a bit over the top and a tad tedious. I just ignored a lot of it yesterday, it's a shame, I get that there will be a lot of reporting but think about the obsequious tone, thanks. The reactions? I heard this morning as I was walking to the hospital for some chemo that people were waiting outside Clarence house to wish him well and I said outloud "Oh fuck off with that and get a fucking grip!" Given that, I shall be mostly avoiding the news for the rest of the day which is nice and easy until I go to bed and listen to the radio, but that's life!

In all fairness my friend had a scan one week, cancer seen and removed within a week (last year). Nhs, so depends on your area.

That's lucky if you can get it. My relative died while waiting months for diagnosis, by the time they diagnosed it was far too late to have treatment.
A lot of p.footing about with gps, and junior drs and random surgical consultants - none took responsibility.

And no chemo doesn't always start straight away - most centres it's 2-3 weeks after seeing the Oncologist and waiting for blood tests, histology, pharmacy, scheduling etc.