Great Ormond St

[minxthemanx]

Am going to try to watch, but DS was in Intensive Care there last year, so I may find it too close to home. What a place.

What a wonderful family and a beautiful little boy Sol.

Life is so fucking unfair. So sad to watch this but it was an incredible documentary. Wishing all the children well.

This might be a stupid question, but when children from overseas come to GOSH do their goverments pay for their healthcare?

Not that I think they should but it's like we have to take out travel insurance to go abroad, especially the US where healthcare costs a fortune.

I was wondering that, actually.

I thought that too...in no way am I saying that the children shouldn't have the life saving surgery...but at the moment, I am appealing against a funding decision for my dd to have, not life saving, but life enhancing surgery, as our PCT won't pay. We can't even be referred to another hospital as we are in the 'wrong area'.

Depends what country they are from. We have reciprocal arrangements with some countries.

Could I ask for dd to be treated in another country then?

I doubt it. Not if they won't fund it here.
The children I knew were on DD's oncology ward and were mostly from Cyprus. They would have some treatment there and come over for radiotherapy and some other stuff.
You could always ask your gp though

That's the thing. There is no way i would ever want to take funding away from children who desperately need treatment. The procedure dd needs is available in a lot of other hospitals, just not ours and it costs £7000 which I don't think is a massive amount.

My understanding is that some of the overseas children are government funded, some are charity funded (both UK and international charities) and some are self funding.

The UK does fund some overseas treatment but only for stuff not available on the NHS.

As far as I recall when Irish conjoined twins where seperated in GOS it was funded by the HSE (that's the Irish health service sort of) and public funds raised by the Irish public)

I'd imagine it's the same with other children from overseas, GOS is such a world leading centre a lot of very indeed children from around the world go there

Sweary dont feel like that. You wouldnt be denying a seriously ill child treatment. It doesnt work like that.
Life enhancing treatments are very important.
We all want the best for our children and I am sure you are not asking for something unreasonable or frivolus (sp).

sweary sometimes you can go to continental europe for treatment on the nhs. for example if your family lives there and after a big operation you would have no help post op. it involves many many many forms.
gosh also accepts private patients.

Yes well if we had the means to go private, the consultant we see would be more than happy to do it!! Git!!

Anyone watching tonight? It's starting now on BBC2.

It's focusing on the intensive care unit tonight.

Oh thanks - hadn't spotted the time

I'm watching. I was feeling fed up after another hospital trip with DS but this puts things into perspective.

I'm watching, not sure if its a good idea, ds2 is only 4 weeks old so I'm still fairly hormonal.

I'm afraid this episode is going to be devastating too. I hope there's some good news for some of the families.

Poor Millie and poor family.How cruel life can be.

so sad poor millie but what a lovely doctor

So sad, can say it was the right thing to do but I couldn't cope with it. Tears are flowing already.

goodness gracious this is an eye opener tonight. poor families

God this one is just as awful as the cancer one. Sob.

Seeing the faces of those doctors after hearing about Franceska.