War hero refused treatment

Kyt · Feb 18, 2008

Disgraceful, and not the first time a veteran has bee refused treatment for a similar condition.

War hero refused treatment by NHS - Telegraph

Doctors have launched a campaign on behalf of a war hero who has been told he must go blind in one eye before he can receive NHS treatment and accused Gordon Brown of "incompetence" in managing the health service.

More than 120 doctors have sent £5 cheques to Downing Street, made out to the Prime Minister, in the hope of shaming him into helping former RAF bomber Jack Tagg. The 88-year-old was recently diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Britain, which affects an estimated 500,000 people.

Mr Tagg has the treatable, but most aggressive "wet" form of the disease, which can lead to the loss of central vision in as little as two months.

But he has been told that the NHS will only fund the injections which could save his sight, after he has lost the vision in one eye.

Now Mr Tagg and his wife Gabrielle, 77, face having to sell their home to raise £10,000 to fund the two-year course of private treatment.

The couple, from Torquay, Devon, are currently paying £715 a time for injections of Avastin, which although it has not been licensed for use on the eye, is much cheaper than the alternative drug Lucentis.

Mr Tagg, who was a member of the RAF Balloon Command during the Second World War and flew Wellington bombers, said he was appalled by his predicament.

"They told me there were three choices: let nature take its course and go blind, try to seek funding, or pay for immediate treatment. Time is of the essence, so we opted to pay up and fight for funding.

"This is happening to literally millions of people. It's appalling and something has got to be done about it."

He added: "Otherwise I'm in good health, and if my sight goes it's my wife who has to carry the can of looking after me. The house will have to go. We've got to get the money somehow.

"Torbay spent £43 million trying to tempt entrepreneurs to come here. But people like me are forced to pay for our own treatment."

Martin Rankin, a GP and friend of Mr Tagg, posted an open letter to Mr Brown, on a doctors-only website, saying the case "typifies the incompetence of your Labour government in managing the NHS".

It reads on: "You have never met Jack or his lovely wife but I can tell you they are a wonderful couple. He risked his life for us, you are in charge of the NHS, we believe that our patients would prefer you to spend a few thousand pounds on Jack in his hour of need than bailing out an incompetent bank.

"The doctors who have added their names to this list will all post on a cheque for £5 payable to Mr Gordon Brown.

"Of course we don't expect you to get Jack his treatment on the NHS - we already know you are not up to the job of running the NHS, we simply would simply ask you to cash our cheques and then forward on the lump sum to Mr Tagg."

Speaking yesterday, Dr Rankin said "Politicians have devolved all responsibility to the local healthcare trusts and washed their hands of making the awkward decisions."

Guidance from NHS watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is expected in six weeks time. A spokeswoman said: "Until then, hospital trusts should make their own treatment decisions."
Click to expand...

Kyt · Feb 18, 2008

An earlier example

War vet faces blindness and his disabled wife a care home after NHS drug rationing | the Daily Mail

though they backdown that time:

BBC NEWS | England | Oxfordshire | War veteran gets NHS sight drugs

spidge · Feb 18, 2008

Passing the buck again. Politicians and bureaucrats.........disgraceful!

Antipodean Andy · Feb 18, 2008

Ridiculous state of affairs.

Kitty · Feb 19, 2008

That's interesting. The NHS Charter from when it was formed in 1948 states quite clearly preferential treatment must be given to all war veterans, with those actually injured during the war given top priority over everyone else. As in bumped to the top of every list.

Guess what? Doesn't happen. Wish I had the 10K needed.

Log in or Sign up

War hero refused treatment

Kyt Άρης

Kyt Άρης

spidge Active Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

Kitty New Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

War hero refused treatment

Thread Tools

Kyt Άρης

Kyt Άρης

spidge Active Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

Kitty New Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches