Life expectancy sent by email - relative

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

Hi, I hope someone can help.

I’m really shocked by this communication but I could well be missing something. A relative received an email after a CT scan saying he had inoperable lung cancer and giving him 2 years to live. 2 weeks later another email saying his scan had been sent to another clinician who has concluded he has 8 months to live.
This feels so cruel, I would have thought these conversations happen face to face or at least over the phone where you can ask questions.
Does anyone else have any experience of this type of communication?

There is no way these things are legit. No way at all. How difficult do you think it would be to set up a fake email address of sufficient quality to fool an old person with limited technical skills? And the scammer still won't forward these emails to anyone, hence writing them out by hand, WTF.

Every single person on this thread has told you this is a lie, including a number of health care professionals. If you want to believe it - of course that's your right, but please just be wary when the requests for money start coming. I'm sorry the parents have been taken in by this as well, it must be extremely upsetting for them.

Best of luck.

Also OP, you mention emails about appointments booked and then cancelled. In both instances, hard copies will always be sent by post.

Can you Google the name of the clinician?

Oh, you will have to have a private word with their parents if they are devastated.

I just had a scenario like this that actually turned out to be true. A friend in the states announced she had a terminal illness and then her sister messaged me quietly and said she thought it wasn’t true. But it was. It was a very strange situation because she wasn’t making sense in her posts because of the illness, obviously. But honestly, that was the only time something like that ever turned out to be true which made it so surprising and devastating to the family.

I think I’ve done all I can at this stage. I’ve suggested that the emails are highly irregular, but the father is happy they are trustworthy. I think now I just need to support them as best I can.

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this, but despite what "evidence" there may be I still believe it is all a lie.

I hope nobody gets hurt by this.

There's no way this gets resolved without people getting hurt. He's either lying or dying. There's no happy end.

I’m so sorry, this must be a horrible situation for you to be in. Do you think that you’ll go down the PALS/complaint route as others have suggested? That seemed a very smart way to flush it out.

You can’t believe this nonsense is actually genuine though?

I have, nothing comes up. But that’s not unusual, I think many clinicians don’t have an online presence. However a “top oncologist” likely would I know!

It is absolutely 100% not even close to legitimate. It would never, ever happen this way. Please understand that and move forward accordingly. It sounds a really tough situation but please clear all doubt from your mind. It is not legitimate.

I'm sorry, but no. DH's cancer has just returned and we've been quite fed up with the NHS's inability to send anything by email, as he missed a scan date that they'd sent him by letter (they rang him up to say "where are you? We're waiting for you to give you this scan", he said "what scan?", they replied "we sent a letter yesterday!" - our post generally arrives at 11am, the scan was scheduled for 9am 🙄). Everything has been done by letter. And trying to get any kind of prognosis has been like pulling teeth.

The only believable thing is lack of contact from MacMillan, as we were promised they'd get in touch, 2 months into chemo and it's been tumbleweed...

Any emails that I have received from the NHS (all to do with my son from CAMHS etc) have all been sent via secure method where you have to download a zip file or the letter is an attachment that is password protected - all due to GDPR. They absolutely will not send sensitive information in a generic email

Tbh, the NHS is pretty shit. Sounds unreal, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all. BIL had blood tests last year, and received an introduction letter from McMillan saying that following his diagnosis they were advising him of help out there. Only he had had no diagnosis. After chasing up through hospital and GP, he found out he had Leukaemia but he had fallen through the net with having no follow up appointment. Complained, and received a letter of apology, but it definitely makes you lose all confidence in the NHS.

This is all pure nonsense

I think many clinicians don’t have an online presence

Certainly not true for consultants. They are listed by name on their hospital's website for one thing.

I know. I’m just not sure what else I can do right now. I have made them aware of potential asks for money, that the crop of emails are setting the scene.

I’m still very suspicious, but that’s not enough right now to accuse him of lying.

I have greatly appreciated the help and support on this thread.

You can check the GMC register:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/the-medical-register

I did suggest that today but the father said he didn’t want to do that as it would be upsetting for his son, who at the moment is coping well with his prognosis. I know, I know.

This is such rubbish OP. I’m sorry you have such toxicity in your life.

There is no way this is how news like this would be delivered.

Emails are generally sent via secure platforms.

I think he is lying and trying to scam his parents and others.

I was told I had cancer at a face to face following a letter. My mum was told she had cancer face to face following a letter. I'm not sure hospitals even keep email records

Our Trust will send generic information about eg support services or information packs to personal email addresses but not clinical correspondence.

Do you think that you have sowed the seed of doubt with the DF at least? Did he appear devastated at this terminal prognosis for his son - or is he just trying to save face? They must know his antics?

Thanks. Only Dr with similar name is a MH consultant.

Maybe. A bit sad really, not openly devastated but he’s not that kind of man.

You know full well this is bs. At the least I'd stand my ground with them all and say you're not falling for it, nobody hears this via email.