Poor fellow wrapped a plastic trash bag around his head and suffocated himself. Sad stuff.
What is particularly telling are the comments that accompanied the story. Please read these comments and as you do, realise that all but one of them come from people who are stuck with this system. I’ve taken the liberty of highlighting some of the comments to provided emphasis. Note the one comment that is especially highlighted with italic and special emphasis. It’s the one lone person supporting the actions of the NHS. I’d be willing to bet that the commenter is a younger man who is in good health. He’s very cavalier about life and death - obviously he’s not faced any health crises of his own - yet. Let’s check back with him in a few years and see if he’s still so pro-health rationing.
IVF and sex changes are NOT life threatening, they are lifestyle choices, yet you can get them on the NHS. Why them and not for this which most definitely is life-threatening.
- Phil, Chelmsford, England, 24/6/2008 5:43
What’s the point in working all your life and paying taxes etc and when you really need something like this you get refused? I hope Brown and all his sidekicks needs something to save their lives including all these health bosses and they get refused, all they think about is lining their greedy god-damn pockets!
- Sheila, Sunderland, 24/6/2008 5:50
I do not know how NHS managers sleep at night - it must be because they have no conscience. They do not see things from the front line like the medical staff as they are in their offices. I spent a week in hospital nearly two years ago and saw bed managers bullying nurses in order to try to get them to discharge patients early. I’ve seen jobs for bed managers advertised on 37k a year salaries, which makes a mockery of the dedicated staff who have spent years studying and training for the good of the patients. Between that and the way the NHS treats people with serious illnesses it is a scandal.
- Linda, Fife, 24/6/2008 6:00
We can’t fund this yet we give six billion pounds a year to the EU (soon apparently to be ten billion) to subsidise other countries. Incredible.
- John, Harrogate,UK, 24/6/2008 6:03
My sympathies with Albert’s family. Who has the right to play ‘God’ are they doctors or just men in suits? Seems like the NHS is being run like the government and councils by faceless useless inhumans.
- Karen, ex pat USA, 24/6/2008 6:17
This is awful. How dare this man be refused treatment. There is something seriously wrong with the NHS. I’ve lost two people in my family over the last 12 months because of the NHS. It all boils down to money and I’m sick of it. They are gambling with people’s lives. The destruction and devastation of the families to who have to sit back and watch their loved ones die is absolutely soul destroying. Something HAS to be done about this.
- Anon, UK, 24/6/2008 6:19
Outrageous - this lousy government with its health commissars spending billions on administration from increased National Insurance contributions and leaving patients at the end of the line being denied life-giving drugs that are routine in the rest of Europe. I hope Barrie and Albert had a Civil Partnership so that there is no question of Inheritance Tax being levied and pension rights denied as was my fate when my partner died of kidney cancer in 2005 three month’s before the Civil Partnership Act came into force after Brown delayed its implementation.
- Chris Wyatt, Manchester UK, 24/6/2008 6:22
Death by Socialism.
- Mr. J. Smith, Birmingham, England, 24/6/2008 6:28
ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL! My Dad had cancer in 1977 and then the doctors/hospital could not do enough for him, there was no such thing as primary care trusts and the hospital was clean and nice and the food (not that he could eat any, he had stomach cancer) was wonderful and the wards were kept clean and tidy.
- Roz Benfield, West Sussex, 24/6/2008 6:30
And why, if a patient is able and willing to pay for the drugs themselves, are they then refused ALL NHS treatment?? Tragic. My condolences to Mr Baxter’s partner and family.
- Linda, Birmingham, 24/6/2008 6:34
What is the NHS for if it refuses to give out drugs? What happened to health care for all? I would like to know if the NHS can refuse treatment can we refuse paying into the system?
- Tony, Dartford, Kent, 24/6/2008 6:39
Enough is enough. We contribute to a system that is ‘Free at the point of delivery’ - whatever that means. We don’t get reduced contributions based on post code. Someone has to take the NHS, the Government, whoever to Court to get a ruling on this very unsatisfactory ’system.’ Our thoughts must be with those and their families, who are treated this way. Disgraceful.
- Mike P, Leeds, England, 24/6/2008 6:46
This is so sad. How can you put a prize on someone’s life like that? Refusing him the drug but then giving it to someone else.
- H.Gray, Kent, 24/6/2008 6:56
An absolute disgrace, I hope the decision makers rightly feel responsible towards his death. If he offered to meet the cost, why should all other treatment be refused?
- Paul, Portsmouth, 24/6/2008 7:22
How is it that the government can dish out 8,000 pounds yearly for for Muslim extremist and terrorist Abu Qatada and 45,000 pounds a year for his wife’s childcare benefits leaving this guy with nothing? Unbelievable.
- adam, Saratoga, California, 24/6/2008 7:30
How very very sad. How can they do this? If it isn’t enough that you know you are terminally ill and then you have this to cope with. Expressing their condolences to his family is just not good enough!
- jenny mccabe, newport, shrops, 24/6/2008 8:04
25 grand doesn’t sound too much, but multiply that by thousands for all the other cases, and the trusts simply can’t afford to ’save’ everyone, as barbaric as it sounds. So of course, priority will be given to those who are younger. - Adam, UK, 24/6/2008 8:08
This is truly awful. These folk have paid in to the system all their lives, to be told NO you can’t have it. Now MPs want their salaries raised, they (MPs) should have been made to fund the treatment.
- Albina, Harrogate, United Kingdom, 24/6/2008 8:26
Money is more important to the non-medical people running our Health Trusts. They gather in massive pay packets for themselves and leave the people on the front line and the patients who have paid in all their lives for treatment with nothing. They should be ashamed of themselves. Shame on them. This poor man. Believe me the medical staff are fed up with non-medical administrators, coming up to them and telling them how to do their jobs! If a patient is recommended by their Doctors to have a certain course of treatment it should go ahead and not turned into a ‘Court Of Enquiry’!
- Rob, Surrey, UK, 24/6/2008 8:32
More evil from the Labour Party.
- John, London, 24/6/2008 8:37
This is truly shocking. I have to agree with Phil re. IVF etc. I can’t begin to imagine how Albert’s family feel and the desperation he must have felt.
“Would not improved his condition” but happy to take £25k from the man.
- Teri, Merseyside, 24/6/2008 8:38
What a complete disgrace! You spend your life paying into a system that lets you down when you need it most. I could weep for this poor man, who must have utterly hopeless. I think we should be able to sue our local trusts for neglect when this sort of thing happens. It is not acceptable.
- Mel Davis, London, 24/6/2008 8:40
Come the next election, I will reserve my vote for whichever party offers us a guarantee that we will ALL receive the necessary medical treatment and drugs to prolong or save our lives. And if this does not happen, then I will abstain from voting.
- Elaine, Banbury, 24/6/2008 8:45
Are you reading this Michael Moore?
- Paul, Bucks, England, 24/6/2008 8:45
Why exactly are we refusing to pay for cancer treatments for UK nationals but prepared to pay for lengthy and expensive HIV treatments for non-UK nationals?
- Housewife-43, Wales, 24/6/2008 8:46