Posted on 02/03/2017 7:46:15 PM PST by markomalley
The number of cancer patients turning to crowdfunding to pay for treatments not available on the NHS has soared, online donation platform JustGiving said.
Cancer patients and their loved ones launched 2,348 appeals on the website last year compared to 304 in 2015 - a seven-fold increase, the figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 live reveal.
The fundraisers generated £4,670,143 to help pay for private medical treatment at clinics in the UK and abroad, a significant rise from the £530,519 raised in 2015.
Consultant oncologist Dr Clive Peedell described the number of patients bypassing the NHS as "very worrying" and said some may be trying to access treatments which are not beneficial.
"The NHS is clearly financially under pressure at present, but cancer therapy has received preferential funding compared to other diseases and conditions," he told BBC Radio 5 live Daily.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
NHS is a "third rail" issue within the UK, as I understand. But it is clearly failing. For UK FReepers, why is it a third rail thing?
So that crowdfunding nonsense actually works?
It’s been years but when we were in England we were told that if you’re in an accident or emergency, the care is good. Non-emergency services can take months. This is why the gubmint should never have a vested interest in your life or health.
How do I help my brother with this “crowdfunding” thing? Seriously, he has an incurable disease that has drastically affected his ability to earn, and he is literally unable to pay his bills, and I am at the end of *my* ability to help him.
What is this crowdfunding thing?
You could set up a gofundme account. Gofundme takes I think ten percent, though, and has been crappy to conservatives and christians at times. Perhaps search for “alternatives to gofundme” and you’ll get some good spots.
Also if he is a member of a local church they can be a source of help. Our church helps members in similar situations.
Set up a crowdfunding site at https://www.gofundme.com/ and then adveritse the opportunity to help here at FR, try to get something in local church bulletins, try to get time on your local radio and TV stations, etc.
The biggest problem is people always confuse ‘health care’ with ‘good health care’. Just because you can get health care at the corner ‘surgery’ (what the clinics are called in Britain) doesn’t mean you will get good or even remotely competent care there.
Got to love socialized medecine; patients reduced to begging.
It worked for us in connection with my stepdaughter’s death (someone else set up the Gofundme account without even telling us until donations were well underway). Gofundme.com kept only 5% as a service fee and everything was handled above-board and totally professionally. We also ended up with six grandkids as part of the deal!
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