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Banned cancer drugs better than NHS ones
timesonline.co.uk ^ | 6-15-08 | staff

Posted on 06/15/2008 5:23:38 PM PDT by Nachum

With privately bought drugs proving to be up to five times as effective as NHS treatments, The Sunday Times reports on the suffering the co-payments ban is inflicting on patients...

The National Health Service is providing dying cancer patients with drugs that are five times less effective than those available privately and is refusing to treat them if they try to buy medicines themselves.

One drug for kidney cancer, routinely available through public health systems in most European countries but not to British patients, can reduce the size of tumours in 31% of patients, compared with just 6% of those prescribed the standard NHS drug.

The growing row over “co-payments” has prompted the government to reconsider the ban. Alan Johnson, the health secretary, has promised a “fundamental rethink” of the policy.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: banned; cancer; drugs; healthcare; nhs; socializedmedicine

1 posted on 06/15/2008 5:28:06 PM PDT by Nachum
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To: Nachum

Here’s your “free medical health care “ we get with sheik Obama.


2 posted on 06/15/2008 5:29:18 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie (WE NEED A TROOP SURGE IN CHICAGO !)
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To: Nachum

Gee, I can’t wait till we get national health care in this country/s


3 posted on 06/15/2008 5:33:03 PM PDT by Bobkk47
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To: Nachum

I read the entire article, and the NHS said that allowing these patients to buy the more expensive drugs themselves, and letting them continue on NHS would create the impression of a “two-tier system.”

One patient could pay for the liver cancer drug and survive through Christmas with her grandchildren, but would lose ALL THE OTHER CARE she was getting from the NHS if she did.

This is pathetic. A system like this would completely destroy health care in this country, as it has in the UK.


4 posted on 06/15/2008 5:45:06 PM PDT by Judith Anne
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To: Nachum

Death is the ultimate “cost containment”.


5 posted on 06/15/2008 6:13:47 PM PDT by lightman (Waiting for Godot and searching for Avignon)
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To: Judith Anne
Those with a nose for history understand that the debate here is along the same lines as that conducted a couple of centuries ago about the "price of corn" in Ireland.

There a single minister held out for keeping up farm earnings for Irish farmers who produced grain(by refusing any importation of competing American food), but he did nothing to alleviate suffering by those who raised or lived on potatoes when the crop failed.

In the end more than a million starved to death, another million left the country for the Americas, and the minister lost his job -

Some day the Brits are going to get a handle on this deal and they'll stop killing people by administrative fiat.

6 posted on 06/15/2008 6:17:57 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Nachum
From last year....

UK 'lagging' on cancer survival

7 posted on 06/15/2008 6:41:03 PM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: mewzilla
And from a couple of weeks ago....

Cancer patients ‘betrayed’ by NHS Sufferers threatened with the loss of all treatment if they ‘top up’ their care with private drugs tell The Sunday Times of their anguish

8 posted on 06/15/2008 6:43:07 PM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: Recovering Ex-hippie
One drug for kidney cancer, routinely available through public health systems in most European countries but not to British patients, can reduce the size of tumours in 31% of patients, compared with just 6% of those prescribed the standard NHS drug

I'm under the impression that most of Old Europe has socialized medicine. I believe the British can opt for private health care. The rants here on FR are about the evils of socialized health care. I read the article that those too poor or too cheap to pay for health insurance are being denied the benefit of latest medical technology. The article says you can get it elsewhere in Europe. It seems like to me more that the government is rationing health-care for those who don't pay into the system. I actually like the idea. Just think, illegal Mexicans would be denied benefits in the USA.

9 posted on 06/15/2008 7:18:11 PM PDT by LoneRangerMassachusetts
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To: socialismisinsidious

ping


10 posted on 06/15/2008 7:41:55 PM PDT by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/Ron_Paul_2008.htm)
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To: long hard slogger; FormerACLUmember; Harrius Magnus; hocndoc; parousia; Hydroshock; skippermd; ...
Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this ping list.


11 posted on 06/15/2008 7:47:58 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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To: traviskicks

Thanks! I was just getting ready to call it a night and would have missed this.


12 posted on 06/15/2008 7:49:19 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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To: Judith Anne

Let’s be fair. Certain members of society would still have the best possible health care entirely paid for by the tax payers.

That’s how those who would be our masters want it.


13 posted on 06/15/2008 8:00:36 PM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: Nachum

Government health “care”. Roll the federal govt back to providing defense, securing the border, and setting up courts. Get em out of everything they have no business being in.


14 posted on 06/15/2008 8:13:55 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Nachum
The National Health Service is providing dying cancer patients with drugs that are five times less effective than those available privately and is refusing to treat them if they try to buy medicines themselves.

And reporters are two to three times less literate than they were fifty years ago.

15 posted on 06/15/2008 8:24:01 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: Nachum

I have a friend who’s two aunt died of brain cancer in the UK waiting to have CAT scans. By the time they both got their turn the tumors were too advanced to treat. People just don’t realize what they are asking for. Socialized medicine is great if all you need is a flu shot each year....don’t get sick!


16 posted on 06/15/2008 9:03:45 PM PDT by chris_bdba
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To: chris_bdba

OOOPPPPSSS they didn’t die waiting they died because they had to wait so long. I think one was 7 months and the other over a year.


17 posted on 06/15/2008 9:06:36 PM PDT by chris_bdba
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To: Nachum

Don’t worry, “our” socialists are smarter than their socialists. This could never happen here...../sarc


18 posted on 06/15/2008 9:15:21 PM PDT by G Larry (HILLARY CARE = DYING IN LINE!)
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