Emergency! Father Needs Expensive Drug To Save Sight

Merrywidow

Thanks missile - its the sun that my aching bones needs more than anything. Got arthritis all over the place and this wet winter and Spring has been a real pain. When the sun comes out the pain is gone. Been yakking to Donny-gal about visiting in September to set up a villa for the winter, can't make firm plans 'cause of an 95 year old Mother who is fading fast.

Can I share a little gem with you about the Spanish Health Service. In 1974 or so, my husband and I went to Althea for 3 weeks. On the third day I broke my arm. Whole evening in A & E (no painkillers) X-rays (no pain killers) Doctor told me "it is a little big broke" arm plastered (no pain killers) sent home at midnight with a prescription. No chemist open. It was 10 o'clock the next morning before I could get any painkillers. Can you imagine how much pain I was in all night - it was horrific. Tell me it has changed? Even reliving it in print sends shivers down my spine.

missile

LOL, thanks for the story. It has indeed changed a little = Altea is full of brits.

Reminds me of the German dentist.
"Ze tooth must come out. You want wif or wifout anistetic"
"What is the difference"
"12 Marks"

Ze old ones Zey are da best?

Mrs_pbradley936

My aunt lives in Spain and is always saying how good the doctors and hospitals are. However she said she always takes her neighbour along as a translator because her Spanish is OK but not fluent and if you do not know how much and how often to take your medicine you don't get any! I think our NHS spends a fortune on translators.

missile

Overheard a lady telling her friend how after many years trying she was really getting on well with her numbers "onu, dos, eh ....... tres, quantro".

Mojisola

Merrywidow wrote: »

Am considering moving to Spain and it would be a costly business if I had to pay for the amount of stuff I stick down my throat each day.

This is drifting away from the OP's question but I think things are changing in Spain, juding from recent news reports -

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/2175609/British-expatriates-in-Spain-foot-the-bill-for-medical-treatment.html

Mojisola

mathsForFun wrote: »

I do not expect anyone here to have a quick or easy solution - but any ideas, even if they turn out to be completely useless, would be extremely welcome.

Local women, denied the new breast cancer drug, set up a massive fund-raising drive. They got the local paper involved and raised enough money for several of them to have the treatment before the health authority changed its decision. It's a lot of work and helps if you have support of any groups to share the work - work colleagues, WI, etc.

Definitely get onto your MP - try the route of "look how much it's going to cost the state to care for him when he's blind in both eyes".

I do hope you can help your Dad - it's an awful position to be in.

Sarahsaver

My mum gets the AMD injections on the NHS and she lives in Suffolk.
if you have one eye which works they will not do it. it is only if you are at risk of losing sight in both eyes AFAIK.

margaretclare

Sarahsaver wrote: »

My mum gets the AMD injections on the NHS and she lives in Suffolk.
if you have one eye which works they will not do it. it is only if you are at risk of losing sight in both eyes AFAIK.

The OP wrote in post#1 that Dad is already blind in one eye.

Steve_xx

Alice Mahon is a former labour MP for Halifax. She has developed macular degenaration and her local health aurhtority have refused to fund the drug that she needs.

She has started a campaign to prevent the NHS from allowing people who need this drug from going blind.

You can read about it here:

http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_alicemahonpr300107.hcsp

Steve_xx

margaretclare wrote: »

The OP wrote in post#1 that Dad is already blind in one eye.

Even more reason for the NHS to be benevolent to this person.