King Charles has cancer

[Ric]

I've tidied this up a bit now, but let's try and keep the political arguments out of it. There are separate threads about the monarchy in general, the NHS etc where those points can be made.

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

You’ve just described exactly the same as Kaz. Hes not taking up an NHS space and Karen was a nurse so knows the situation as well as anyone here.

I think we also should dispel the notion that private care is some kind of silver bullet for treatment like Charles is going to need. It’s absolutely not. Yes it does often help you get to the front of a queue for more straight forward diagnostics and things like that but when it comes to quality of care for complicated and life-threatening conditions, private care is often not the solution. There is no magic serum for all ills that is only available for private patients.

I know this from personal experience. I went to a private specialist last year for a complicated issue and he said there is no private clinic in this country that can offer the care the NHS can offer for my particular problem. He was absolutely right, once I was pointed into the right place and I’d gotten through the layers of admin, it was clear the NHS was best-equipped to support me.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I think we also should dispel the notion that private care is some kind of silver bullet for treatment like Charles is going to need. It’s absolutely not. Yes it does often help you get to the front of a queue for more straight forward diagnostics and things like that but when it comes to quality of care for complicated and life-threatening conditions, private care is often not the solution. There is no magic serum for all ills that is only available for private patients.

I know this from personal experience. I went to a private specialist last year for a complicated issue and he said there is no private clinic in this country that can offer the care the NHS can offer for my particular problem. He was absolutely right, once I was pointed into the right place and I’d gotten through the layers of admin, it was clear the NHS was best-equipped to support me.

Let's be honest though, you've got private insurance. He's probably got a private medical team. He's got the kind of regular supervision that even Michael Jackson would be jealous of.

 

[lloydie]

No I haven't. He's taking up a space because the specialists he is seeing will also work NHS roles a few days a week. We've got numerous specialists working in a dual capacity. So whilst he's not jumping the NHS queue, he's still slotting into their schedule which includes NHS patients and the problem is exacerbated.

If the two were run completely independently with a set of staff in private and a separate set in the NHS then it would be fine. But that's not the case.

I know when my Mum was getting cancer treatment through the NHS that her oncologist was doing the same. Some days he'd be in one NHS hospital, others he'd be at another NHS hospital in the same trust and then a couple of days he'd be at his private hospital. Tracking where he was and finding out where to call and when was incredibly difficult as a result. Her surgeons were doing the same thing and so it was rare both would be together in order to discuss scans/surgery/treatment. It was a car crash.

The private sector isn't helping free up NHS space as well as it could and probably should.

Just to add that the Private sector train zero Doctors or Nurses.

 

[kaz7]

Lost my brother to lung cancer last year and my dad from liver cancer back in the eighties , we are making progress in treating it but if you are unlucky it will get you in the end , one in two people will get it so most families will have someone with it at some stage

 

[west didsblue]

I don’t know about the situation generally around the country but in Manchester we’re very lucky to have world class facilities for diagnosing and treating cancer. Someone I know very well was referred by their GP following a general check up for an ultrasound (unrelated to any symptoms) which showed up something that looked unusual. Within weeks it was followed up by MRI, CT and PET scans followed by an operation to remove it as they couldn’t rule out that it might be cancer. The post-op histology identified it as primary cancer and no further treatment is needed as it was all removed and it hadn’t even triggered markers in the blood that usually show up cancer in tests. Very lucky but that was all thanks to the NHS at its best. It could easily have been missed until there were symptoms by which time the 5 year survival rate would have been around 10%.

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

Let's be honest though, you've got private insurance. He's probably got a private medical team. He's got the kind of regular supervision that even Michael Jackson would be jealous of.

True enough, I paid out of pocket. I am completely uninsurable - it’d be like trying to insure a house built on an active volcano. My post history will tell you I have no love for private health for that reason alone - people like me would have no options if that’s all we had.

I’m not trying to make out he won’t have the advantages afforded to him - he’ll clearly be very well looked after. I just think the gap in actual treatment availability is often not as broad as some people think.

 

[Berts Neck]

Lost my brother to lung cancer last year and my dad from liver cancer back in the eighties , we are making progress in treating it but if you are unlucky it will get you in the end , one in two people will get it so most families will have someone with it at some stage

Sorry to hear that Kaz.

Just a bit of info for all Blues..You have a right to be treated at any hospital..this actually includes private hospitals.The NHS works on a tarriff system(in essence a standard price for consultations and surgery) and many private hospitals offer slots to the NHS to improve their spare capacity. Generally you will be booked in at your local hospital,but you do not have to. It used to be called Choose and Book, now the e-referral system.I hope this helps someone.

 

[hammocity]

Got the same stunning news for my dad early last year. Thankfully his was caught early, the NHS (credit where credit is due) were fantastic with him and he's still soldiering on like nothing ever happened. Must be an older generation attitude.

If you have any symptoms that could suggest cancer you’re generally seen with 14 days on the NHS.

I had a FIT test just three weeks ago, on the Tuesday, the Doctor called me in said I had a high level of blood in my waste which could be bowel cancer. Had my prep meeting at the hospital on Friday and booked the Colonoscopy and Endoscopy for last Tuesday.

Unfortunately my BP was so high on the day the procedures were cancelled. Seeing the Dr tomorrow for a prescription of Diazepam, Friday at hospital for the pre procedure then next Tuesday at the hospital again.

The stuff you take to clear you out is bleedin horrible and all I can think of is when I come round from my procedure the Doc will be telling me the worst news. I’ve been having abdominal pains for some months now but it’s not that painful so I kind of ignored it.

I’m 64 so had a decent life but having worked hard all my adult life I would like a few more years just to carry on enjoying my retirement (just 18 months at the moment).

 

[kaz7]

Sorry to her that Kaz.

Just a bit of info for all Blues..You have a right to ber treated at any hospital..this actually includes private hospitals.The NHS works on a tarriff system(in essence a standard price for consultations and surgery) and many private hospitals offer slots to the NHS to improve their spare capacity. Generally you will be booked in at your local hospital,but you do not have to. It used to be called Choose and Book, now the e-referral system.I hope this helps someone.

Thank you