This story caught my attention tonight on BBC News. Essentially its the Doctors saying our care provision for cancer within the NHS is inadequate.
Weirdly, I don’t feel qualified to answer this with any real insight. The whole thing about anecdotes not being data applies I imagine. If, however, you can accept that perhaps I may not be as objective as I normally try to be, I can proffer some opinion.
Firstly, let me very clear in a way that I wasn’t in a very early post that got me some online grief. I have never, not even once, come across somebody in my whole experience who I felt wasn’t trying to be helpful. Any criticism I offer here is around the system, not the people.
Now, the bit that really sticks out in this story for me is this bit:
This bit I can 100% and completely agree with. The difference in care and provision I’ve received between Barts Health NHS Trust (Royal London Hospital etc.) and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been beyond explaining. My early experiences with Barts – now I’ve experienced KCH – were awful. Every appointment hugely late, getting hold of the right people always a challenge.
To give you an idea, back when my situation first started in early 2024, I was given a referral to Urology. That appointment still has not happened. I had one phone call where a hassled man talked at me for about 4 minutes, told me he’d arrange a face to face…and all I’ve had since is letters cancelling and rearranging the appointment.
I’d have gone insane if the level of pain I was in really was down to something urology would have dealt with. It gets even more bizarre that I’ve emailed & rang a few times to tell them I don’t need to see them, but the cancellation and rearranged date letters still keep arriving.
There’s an air of chaos around Barts, and also Guys & St. Thomas’ when it comes to cancer care. An air of chaos that simply does not exist at KCH.
It is the compliment of the care I’ve received from KCH that’s made me realise how awful Barts was – please, before the messages, refer to what I said above about the people. I don’t mean them.
Whenever I’ve had to visit KCH every appointment has happened usually within 10 or 15 minutes of the booked time, and they’ve never been rushed. They’re also excellently prepared and seem to have access to all of my notes. My ending up at KCH quite literally, and without any drama, probably saved my life. It was the first time in an age I felt listened to, and they took their time to work things through with me. I was admitted the afternoon I turned up, and over the coming week the A&E consultant who admitted me also checked in to make sure things were moving.
I couldn’t have asked for more.
Anyway, it’s incredibly obvious to me – as a layman – that the funding levels between Barts and KCH must be hugely different. I can’t think of another reason for the difference in care levels.
Moving on slightly, I also think I’ve been very lucky to fall under the care of Oncologist who actually seems to care. I won’t name her, but she has been utterly fabulous in the way she’s helped me through this.
This seems to be my experience too. I was utterly lost and in substantial pain until I happened up on KCH.
How to fix this, or understanding what the causes are, are well above my pay grade or understanding, but I have a lot of sympathy for people who have not found the right path. The difference in my day to day between Barts & KCH is astonishing.
Anyway, this feels like I’m ranting. I am absolutely not – if anything, I’m sympathising with a system that’s struggling to cope.
If I had some advice – some advice I wish I’d have taken – if you’re not getting what you need please, please go somewhere else.
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