The first ever guest post on Wonko’s World courtesy of my good lady wife. I’ll let her introduce herself …
My name is Lesley and I’m 32 years old with four children. I am married to Wonko and am aka “Wonkoswife”. You may not believe this but I am not really interested in politics and never have been. I had never voted in my life until this year when I voted for Wonko in the local election. As you can imagine, conversation dries up quite quickly in our house. Most of what Wonko says either goes right over my head, or in one ear and straight out of the other. However, on Tuesday, I decided that I would start to buy a newspaper every day to catch up on what is going on in the world. I asked Wonkos advice and he said to get the Daily Mail. After only three days I am starting to understand what he has been ranting about for the past couple of years. He’s asked me to write about one story that really caught my eye and actually upset me a bit. I guess if you’re reading this, Wonko must have let my post get through his stringent editorial criteria!
The story was entitled “How shameful that a child must beg for medicine”. A six year old girl called Chantelle Hill has been basically begging for money in her home town by putting up endless posters stating “please help me save my daddy”. The reason she is doing this – her 45 year old “daddy” is dying of lung cancer. So far Chantelle has raised more than £4000 to help buy the drug Tarceva, a drug that will help keep her father alive. Chantelle’s father is too weak to undergo any more chemotherapy and the drug will help improve and prolong his life according to doctors. However, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said the drug ‘was not an effective use of NHS resources’. It is bad enough to hear that a six year old child is begging for money to keep her dad alive but even worse to hear that in Scotland, the drug is given free along with lots of other things. The irony is that Chantelle’s dad is a taxpayer and therefore is probably paying for some man in Scotland to receive treatment that he is “unworthy” of receiving. Who is going to explain to this child when she is older that her dad’s life was not as important to this country’s government as some other little girls dad in Scotland? How can the government justify playing with peoples lives. What it all adds up to is that the government were willing to let this “daddy” die a painful death BECAUSE HE LIVES IN ENGLAND. They were willing to let an innocent six year old child lose her father. When is someone in Government going to raise their voice and stand up for the rights of English people? When is someone going to make us feel valued and welcome in our own country instead of treating us like lesser human beings? Who is going to stand in Government and make everyone see that we are damn proud to be English?
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And that was in the Daily Mail.
I am not desputing the story.
I just think that the daily mail is a load of rubbish.
They supported the Nazi’s in the 30’s and if i’m being provocative, i’d say that i don’t think much has changed since! The daily mail just pedals hate, ignorance and biggotary. Hiden agendas from, well i’m going to say it, from racists.
Sorry if i sound like a stupid reactionary. I just thikn that the Daily Mail is full of shit. It represents almost everything that i hate about this country, about my country. It fuels hatred. It is things like that that will rip our great nation apart, not immigrants, the bed rock of our society. Withour immigrants we would be stuffed. Without the Mail we would all be better off!
Gotta agree with Calum on this one. What newspaper people read is up to them, after all I am not buying it, but the only thing in that rag I would believe is the crossword ;-).
Calum, the argument that without immigrants we’d be stuffed is straight out of Liebour’s little red book. In fact, I discussed that in this post after Fraser Nelson tried to argue for unfettered immigration on Question Time. The truth of the matter is, we have a potential workforce of maybe a half a million people who don’t work but can work. Rather than plugging a gap in the available workforce by flooding the country with jihadi’s and slowpeds, change the way unemployment benefits work to make it harder to claim unemployment benefits for a long time than it is to work.Anyway, immigration is another topic – what do you think about the fact that a 6 year old girl is having to beg for money to pay for cancer treatment for her dad that is freely available in Scotland paid for using the subsidy they get from the English taxpayer? They get this superior medical treatment in Scotland because of two things – firstly, we pay for it and secondly, because they have a Scottish government that is elected by, answerable to and only represents the Scottish people. We don’t have that in England and the Conswervative’s Grand Committee of the same traitor British MP’s who have allowed this to happen for the last 10 years won’t address that issue in any way.
Welcome, Lesley.
True, the story was indeed in the Mail – but it was also in other papers and even on TV. (mind you, so was Blair’s claims that we were 45 minutes from destruction courtesy of Saddam’s WMDees – and that was proved to be nothing short of 100% porkyness).
The fact that it was in the Mail should not be the reason for scorn. Gentlemen, your vitriol should be aimed at this shit racist Government for us getting to the position we now find ourselves in. Instead of slagging off a daily newspaper, why not complain to your local MP? Or maybe you consider it ‘OK’ that this cancer drug is off limits to people in England, but available to all in Scotland? Maybe, begging on the streets builds character and a resourceful attitude to life?
PS – A guy round our way died from Bone Cancer last month – he was doubly unlucky. 1) He lived in England and therefore did not qualify for a drug that is freely available in Scotland. 2) Being old and childless, he didn’t have a cute 6 year old kid to hit the streets and start begging. Life’s such a bitch ain’t it?
And as regard to the Daily Mail – the issue I most remember (and the first one I ever bought) was the one where they published the photos of all the suspected killers of Stephen Lawrence on their front page. (no other paper of TV station dared to do it). The next day, these guys got a lawyer to threaten the Mail with a liable action – an action that if it went to court and succeeded would have bankrupted the entire organisation. The Mail simply reprinted the pix – again on the front page, but bigger along with a headline that said something like ‘Come and have a go, if you think you’re hard enough!’ They printed the pix the next day as well – and the lawyers backed off. The Mail was the only paper to act to help Mr and Mrs Lawrence in their hour of need…… But you guys probably don’t want to hear that, far better to keep believing the lies of Labour, eh?
Also, The Daily Mail is the fastest growing daily paper in the country. That should tell you that this country is not a very good place to be at the moment, and I think we can blame our shit Labour government for that.
About bloody time I got over here, Wonko. I ran your piece on Merkel’s Army some time back and things just got away from me after that. Interesting that you’ve a guest poster today. The medical treatment issue is a scandal but part of the agneda to produce a public outcry then the saviour rushes in with draconian policies which put everything back in order. Pure Adolph.
Your blog, Wonko, is excellent, content wise but Worpress is cr-p. Example. Just wrote a long comment and pressed the button and then got this joje:
Error: The anti-spam word is invalid. Please report this error to the webmaster. Go back and refresh the page to re-submit your comment.
Copy your comment in case this site forces a page reload whenever you press the Back button:
Do you see the joke? It doesn’t tell you it’s going to error you and so you haven’t saved. Then this page comes up and tells you to save but to go back to do it, you’ll lose that which you wrote. Great joke on a visitor.
However, having said that, just came over to say I really should have been here much earlier. I ran your piece on Merkel’s Army some time back and then things just prevented me, you know.
Now I’m here, it’s your first guest poster and it’s about the state of medicine in the country. This is deliberate, IMHO, to create public outcry.
James, you’re not the only one to have come accross that “feature”. I’m in no way a PHP guru, I just dabble, but I will cast my beady eye over the code and see if I can find a way of saving the content. I may have to commune with Kev for a solution.
Calum, England is not your country. You are the Celt. If you hate it so much why are you living here then?
I’m with Calum on this one. It’s *the Daily Mail*; you can’t take it seriously. I’m not at all surprised, however, that it’s the `news’paper Wonko recommends; after all, it’s the one that paints the world the way he’d like to believe it to be. I’m somewhat saddened, though, that Mrs Wonko didn’t feel able to choose a newspaper for herself.
There’s nothing wrong with the Daily Mail. They talk about immigration and they say England when they mean England. Until the last week, they were the only newspaper in England that would talk about us getting shafter by the Scottish Raj.
Attacking the Daily Mail whilst ignoring the story? I believe that’s known as “Shooting the Messenger” simply because you don’t want to hear what he’s telling you.
And when England and the English have had enough of being dismissed and ignored, and just declare UDI, what will you think then?
Oh wait, you’ll just blame the Daily Mail rather than admit that it’s your own attitude to the English that is truly to blame.
Calum and Allie are both one of the master race.
Have to agree with Allie here.
The Mail is, to say the least, sparing with the truth. It paints a warped view of the world. It is full of sensationalist crap.
There is no delineation between fact and opinion. Hence, one cannot get a neutral view of things. You are only presented with a one sided story where the truth is spun.
The paper talk all sorts of rubbish about immigration. Immigration actually has massive benefits for the country. With the economy having a net benefit somewhere in the region of 3bn.
The paper is simply a racist, bigoted load of rubbish. Not only does it talk a load of rubbish, but it is also really poorly written, i know that is rich coming from me considering my spelling etc…, but still, you expect more from a supposedly high quality newspaper.
In conclusion, i wouldn’t even wipe my bum with the daily mail, that is how awful it is.
Calum:
Congratulations – you can wipe your own arse.
Is it true that in Scotland they use both sides of the toilet paper?
Hi Al.
Thanks, i can wipe my own arse, just got the hand of it thanks.
Also, i don’t live in scotland. I’m not scottish. I’m British. I live in England. I support he English football and cricket teams, in fact i have 10 year wembley tickets.
My dad is from Scotland, so Scotland are my 2nd team, but i’m not Scottish. I’m British.
Just so you know so that you aren’t confused. You total f***wit.
Calum:
You must lay off the personal abuse.
You are not witty enough to be amusing.
“Calum and Allie are both one of the master race.” I’m wondering whether this breaks the rules on personal abuse; but as I haven’t the faintest idea what it means, it’s hard to tell.
Anybody?
I just re-read Mrs Wonko’s post. What a heartbreaking description of life at home. `Conversation dries up quite quickly in our house’? `Most of what Wonko says … goes … in one ear and straight out of the other’?
Anyway, to the story in question:
NICE didn’t approve Tarceva because it already pays for a drug – docetaxel – that does exactly the same thing. However, in some patients, docetaxel induces side-effects which may not be present if those patients were to receive Tarceva. So this man is already receiving the medication he needs; it just doesn’t carry the brand name Tarceva. Anyone else feeling a little uncomfortable that a drug company could stoop so low as to use a six-year-old girl in the pursuit of even larger profits?
If NICE doesn’t rule on what is, and what is not, a cost-effective use of NHS resources, then who should? Or are you willing to pay more tax, in order to fund any and all possible demands on the NHS?
This man is not going to `die a painful death’, whenever that time comes. Palliative care in the UK is among the best in the world.
Al, i’m not being abusive, ok maybe i was. Sorry. I’m not trying to be amusing nor witty, as i hardly think that a juvenile insult like calling you a fuckwit verges anywhere near witty. Thats just me being rude. i appologise for that, although i doubt you were offended, and if you were than i’d say you have problems.
Also, how do you know i’, not witty? I may be very witty for all you know.
Also, on palliative care.
The Government announced a 50m annual budget for cancer palliative care in 2003, which has done wonders for cancer palliative care. Additionally, last year the government announced a further 50m fund for all adult palliative care to be spent over 2 years on improving quality of conditions and care, of which 10m goes direct to Marie Cure, with the other 40m being used in hospitals and other hospices etc… Additionally, 27m was announced for children care over 3 years beginning this year.
This is additional money to any allocated in the budget, which is administered through the NHS and so is hard to find the exact figures for.
Investment in palliative care is big. Palliative care has improved massively over the past 10 years, yet more still needs to be done, as care still isn’t as good as it should be.
Allie:
I’m pretty sure you recognise the distinction between the ‘master race’ reference and a direct offensive remark to an individual. I note the Calum does appreciate this, so that’s done with.
Stu, I have to say…I agree with your wife…I don’t know how you can get so into all of this either..;) It’s quite a bit “whoosh” to me as well in some respects..heh.
Don’t kill me, please…it’d play havoc with my schedule..besides, you know what I’m like.
(if it helps, I now have a full collection of Pratchett, and I apologise for doubting you all those years ago..!)
Al, your concern is touching but she was referring to when I go off on one about something, not general chit-chat.
Calum, when the British government announces £40m for the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales get a few million as well whether they have a need for it or not. And palliative care is all well and good but ask someone with terminal cancer if they’d rather the money was spent on cancer drugs to prolong and improve the quality of their life that are available in Scotland or on making them comfortable while they die early because they can’t get the same treatment that Scotland gets. You know as well as I do that the English NHS is hopelessly underfunded and that it is wrong for an English person to be denied a life-saving drug because they don’t live in Scotland.
Karl, I told you Terry Pratchett was the best writer ever. Got a signed copy of his latest book a few weeks ago. Fantastic.
Out of interest Calum…
Would you say you are not Scottish, but British.
Isn’t Scotland a part of Britain?
You must mean that you are *English*, no?
you all think you have problems in the UK. we in ireland [CELTIC SUPPORTER] have a health strike over who changes the bulbs in hospitals [HONEST]YOURS,TCW MEMBER
Calum,yes you really are a total cunt,why dont you just fuck off back to your poly common room?
Andy, please try and moderate your language. The comment rules say “I have no aversion to the use of harsh language but do try and keep it relevant and in context”. Calum has been brainwashed by the Liebour machine, it’s not his fault.
Wh are we to decide what is the best clinical solution is?
To put it in laymans terms, he has been offered Coke but wants Pepsi! There are lots of examples of such things where NICE(England) chooses a different brand from NICE(Scotland)
If he were in scotland he would be given the drug he wants, not because it is the one he wants but for the reason that NICE(Scotland) demed that ‘flavour’ to be the best for the symptoms.
axel, we’re talking about lives here. Presumably you have an example of a life-saving or life-extending cancer treatment available in England on the NHS but refused in Scotland because it’s not cost-effective?
Shall I save you the effort of looking? There aren’t any.
While ‘Tarceva’ is availble here in Scotland ‘Docetaxel’ is not. They are pretty much the same thing, with the same basic success rates.
This is not a matter of us getting better or more expensive drugs, it is just that England chose one and Scotland chose a different one.
Probably the sales reps for one went to us first and you second and vice versa for the other one?
The question is, is this man qualified to ask for these drugs, or is he just desperate?
And I think the fact that his consultant is not campaigning with him, shows the consultants thoughts.
If he had been in scotland, it would have been the samme, he would have enough Tarceva to bathe in and would not be allowed Docetaxel.
And it would be in the Scottish Daily Mail, saying ‘Evil English, Hoots Mon!!!!!!’
Axel, do you understand anything about health funding in Scotland? The “National” Health Service is not a national service at all, it’s 4 different services. Spending on health in Scotland is much higher than in England even though Scotland doesn’t generate enough tax to cover its basic expenses. Herceptin was the first example of medical apartheid that got into the news – available in Scotland but not in England. ARMD is another one – if you live in Scotland they save your sight, if you live in England you won’t be considered for treatment until you’ve gone blind in one eye and are at serious risk of going blind in the other.
Oki, with ARMD, I concede the point but not with Herceptin.
Scotland chose herceptin and not the other one and england chose the other one and not herceptin. That is just an unfortunate instance. The man is dying, too weak for more chemo and he is clutching at straws, pinning his hopes on an alternative drug, Docetaxel has provided little releif for him, so he wants to try something else, that is what the issue is. And here the costs become the factor, there will be bulk discounts on Docetaxel but not Herceptin.
The £1400 per month will be the retail price for it but the cheapness of the Docetaxel is reduced by bulk discounts.
If his consultant thought it woul;d really make a difference, he would say so and then it would be a valid story. The fact that his consultant has not chipped in, shows he thinks it will provide few if any, extra benefits.
Pepsi & Coke
The thing with these drugs is, they do the same thing, Scotland chose what it thought was best and England chose what it thought was best and….
We both came to different answers, for what ever reason.
When these drugs were chosen it was on the basis of ‘treatment of terminal lung cancer’ and not cost.
Here is one that neither of us gets :((
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7111851.stm
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/colorectal_beva_FAD.pdf
This is my first post and I fully expect to get flamed, so let me begin…… My first point is that I find it amusing that when confronted with the story of the little girl trying to save her father, a story that any sane and conscientious human being should find disturbing and tragic in the extreme, that the British supporting, Celtic liberal intelligentsia that frequent this sight can only break into a self righteous diatribe against the daily mail. I notice none of the above “posters” could properly justify it or some even try to justify it.
Anyone who thinks the current system of representation and its consequences especially with the NHS is either deluded, ignorant or selfish, or a combination of the above. I also note that only the Scottish (and not even members of my family ) try to justify the situation. Since from your previous comments you clearly grasp the rudiments of ENGLISH language and speech I will assume that they have a basic level of intelligence and can see the clear discrepancies. This leads me to the conclusion that they continue to support the current system out of some ancestral hatred of the English or selfish impulse to better their “lot” at the expense of others.
Finally on the subject of the daily mail, I personally don’t like the paper, but I do hold fairly right wing views. Those of you who claim to hate the paper and make petty attacks against it are pathetic to say the least. I cannot stand “liberals” who use their beliefs to bludgeon all dissent and attempt to ostracise from society those who think differently to them. The arrogance of progressives who are so self assured that their beliefs are correct, who are more close minded than those they claim to be ignorant and bigoted. Whose very system of thought they cannot tolerate to be debated or challenged. The nazi analogy was indeed apt, but I m fairly sure not in the way it was intended! Rant over….:)
Scotland chose Herceptin and England chose Docetaxel, both are allegedly the same but the Scottish and English experts chose different flavours.
If the reason the english experts chose Docetaxel was cost based, then that is a scandal but that was not the reason they chose it, they chose it because in their esteemed expert professional opinions, it was the best for the job.
If Herceptin would make such a difference to his condition, why is his consultant not one of the ones shouting for it? Could it be he respects the judgements of the panel who decided which drug to sanction?
Sythric you won’t get flamed for posting things like that!
Axel, England gets what England can afford. Scotland gets what England can afford. It wasn’t down to professional opinion, it was what what could be got cheap.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5058952.stm
No, apparently you can have it if you have breast cancer!
The whole point of this argument is whether you can get ‘inappropriate drugs’ or not.
Scotland has chosen Herceptin and England has chosen Docetaxel for terminal lung cancer.
Herceptin is for breast cancer.
oooops, head up arse again!
I wonder how Herceptgin entered my head? 😕
Don’t know, can you get it in tablet form? :p