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

Life isn’t always fair though is it? We could say this about everything, why is it fair that some people get private healthcare, why can some afford private education, why can some have bigger houses, more holidays, can afford to heat their house 24/7 instead of having to chose between heat and food.

Money doesn’t buy happiness but it buys a fuck lot of things that make life easier - that’s not the King’s fault!!

My dad was treated on the NHS very quickly. Once he had been diagnosed the treatment started the following week.

I can assure you the majority of people in the civil service use the NHS - very few would be able to afford private treatment.

Lots of us have Benenden as this used to be civil service only (but is now open to everyone). But it's not private healthcare like BUPA is and it doesn't do cancer treatment.

Because people wont acknowledge that many women find these checks incredibly painful. Read Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez.

Two of my friends have cancer, and both started treatment within a week of diagnosis, both NHS.
I thought this was quite impressive.

Didn’t they find it because they were treating something else… but yes money will buy you better treatment unfortunately. Plus he’s the King.

It's unfair, of course it is but I know that if I had the means, I'd absolutely use them.
I wish I had prioritised a little, actually, a lot better when I could and put health at the top and made sure I was set up a lot better than I am. I don't 'blame' those who can go private, or have the means to ensure fast treatment because there are way too many factors that have gone into the state of available treatment/prevention as a whole and I recognise my own part. Not that that means I think anyone 'deserves' what they get or shouldn't receive the best treatment possible because that isn't what I mean at all and I include myself in that. Everyone should have access to the best health care.
It just is what it is until we, as a society, stop being passengers and do something about it. Experience tells us it won't change otherwise yet, here we are. 🤷‍♀️

I don't see why this thread is in bad taste. No one is glad he has cancer and no one is wishing him ill. People are commenting on the discrepancy between the health care available to people in power and 'normal' people.

Whether you can afford the best medical treatment or you are stuck with the good old NHS. Whether you are the King of England or some insignificant no one, a diagnosis of cancer is exactly the same. It’s a lottery and there are no guarantees. I’m sure the King’s doctors are no different in their careful handling of the facts.

“You have cancer” is probably the worst thing anyone has said to me.

I think that the King is incredibly brave in announcing his cancer so soon after diagnosis. It took me a few weeks before I was happy to admit that cancer had got me. I did announce it to family and very close friends on a closed group on Facebook but only to save my DH and DS from having to update everyone or field difficult questions. It was an horrendous time when I look back and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy and that’s before the treatment starts.

It's all such bollocks isn't it.
I've cared for 2 people only recently whos cancer symptoms were dismissed and dismissed and then ended up being actually stage 4 cancer by the time it was taken seriously.

They are just commoners and plebs though of course, so no big deal

Sadly I don’t think mammograms in England necessarily start when we turn 50. I also waited expectantly for the invitation and eventually asked my GP.

She said that in my area at least all the women age 50 to whatever at our surgery (and each GP surgery) are invited to screening every three years. So your first invitation comes when you are 50, 51 or 52. Unlucky for some.

I haven’t RTFT yet so I apologise if someone else has already explained this

Yes, same here, so I just had my first at 52, and my next will be at 55.

There is definitely, my dad was diagnosed the same day as the King had his procedure. Not his diagnosis.

He’s only a few months older, we’ve not even being given a treatment plan never mind starting it.

Sorry but why is one man worth more than another just because of a birth right.

Sorry I might be a bit sensitive we get the full prognosis this week . It’s not necessarily going to be a good outcome.

sending you lots of love @Yoloohno

He will be paying privately.

My sister has just been diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time and treatment was almost immediate (NHS).

I’ve been waiting for my test results for just over three months. It’s a tumour marker test.

It's clear that cancer diagnosis and treatment is pretty much a postcode lottery and that's just awful. It shouldn't be that way. I've been lucky but I'm grateful that I moved last year. I've had a chronic condition for twenty years that was getting worse over the past few years. The hospital trust I was under before last year were quite slapdash. Despite two times in a&e with minor surgery (dislodging something stuck in my oesophagus) there was no follow up. I ended up in a&e again last year with my new hospital trust and although it took months to find the cancer - not for lack of trying, the tumour was hiding - they had teamed up with another trust who were organising a major surgery to alleviate the chronic and debilitating health issues. About twenty years with a trust who despite giving me some treatments that had temporary results, never pushed forward treatment that could have really improved my quality of life. A year with a new trust who may well save my life. I have no doubt that the cancer would have remained undiagnosed until it was too late with the other lot.

I got lucky with my new postcode and it's upsetting that so many aren't. Upsetting isn't the right word, disgusting, disgraceful, a national shame. That sort of thing. It's inequality upon an already existing inequality.

We need to abolish the royal family

That’s good it was so fast I hope she recovers ok

Same as people who have private medication insurance, Charles isn’t getting any special treatment over those others who choose to pay for private medical insurance. Life is full of inequalities, but maybe some people choose to pay for private medical insurance other other luxuries, maybe they forfeit holidays and TV packages, weekend wine and takeaways so they can pay that. Sure some people have no choice and can’t afford it but others choose not to pay for it and spend their money on other things. So they therefore they accept that if they are diagnosed with cancer they are at the mercy of the NHS. My mum waited 4 months before her surgery for bowel cancer, she could have paid to get seen earlier but chose not to (thankfully cancer was contained in the bowel and 10yrs on now no recurrence).

Many similar posts on how fast

There was a stat on the news that half of us will be in this position at some point. it sounds like the NHS is seeing many quickly but this and all the other stuff, so much

Well my private healthcare covers treatment. It’s pretty standard.

@Goingsomewhere I am not sure why that is relevant or appropriate to this thread?