I am in the same boat as many of you

Hi Steve

FYI

It sounds to me that the health service in Ontario is very different to Quebec.

I have been in a position to compare it with the NHS and imo the NHS is better.

For instance, I am told by my family in Ontario that I would not have received the same accelerated care that I have received here in Devon re my Prostate symptoms.

I had surgery in Ontario and was required to stay in hospital.  The toilet nearest my bed was being used as a store room, and could not be used.  There was one nurse on duty in a neuro ward overnight, dealing with critically ill patients. I used the call button because I felt sick, and was told to wait. I ended up being sick over the bed because I could not get help and could not get out of bed. The nurse was apologetic but was rushed off his feet.

I am in a position to compare, as I have had experience of both countroes, and consider the NHS to be better.

Regards -

Dartmoor, that's very interesting.

Hi Dartmoor,

Apparently, I should have said "Quebec" instead of "Canada"... My experience in Quebec was not the same. I was in a private room with a private bathroom (no extra cost involved). I was in a brand new hospital (CHUM) but obviously the experience might be different in an older hospital...

Hi Steve, my son lives in Canada in British Columbia. They moved from Vancouver to inland 2 years ago. Since then he has been on a waiting list to go onto a GP register. He queued all day at a treatment centre to get medical attention but at closing time he was asked to leave and return the next day when the same happened. He is high risk of prostate cancer and can’t get a PSA test. Canada is not universally good for health care. He’s given up trying now :( worries me no end!

Hi Worriedwife,

I am sorry to read that and I hope he will get an appointment anytime soon... Maybe he should try to go in the private sector to "start the process" if he is at risk. Once with a PSA result, I am confident that he should be able to get access to the ressources he will need.

As I said, even in Quebec, it could be difficult sometimes to get access to a specialist or a GP if you don't have one but once you're "in the system" you are usually in a good system with high standards.

I am lucky to have a family doctor since a few years but event when she cannot see me urgently I am usually able to find an appointment in a clinic near me. There are a few online ressource here in Quebec that can help you find an appointment quickly. I don't know if those kind of online ressources are offered in BC

Thank you petyot, we have offered to help with the costs off private care but his pride gets in the way!  He tells me some pretty grim stories about mega high taxes and poverty +++ in BC. He told me he couldn’t park in a large supermarket car park a few months ago because it was full of homeless people sleeping in trailers or cars and using supermarket toilet facilities? He also told me that older generation of Canadians who can’t eat AND heat are being offered euthanasia? I don’t know how widespread and repeated theses incidences are but it is worrying.

WW, it looks like the NHS isn't that bad!!!

I hope your son can attend least get a PSA test soon.

Hi Steve, I’m sorry to say that I agree with the recently published Darzi report -  the NHS is ‘broken but not beaten’. I am encouraged by the intention to improve things but, right now, it seems there are a lot of words but not so many actions. I guess it’s early days. I do know that the Government is seeking  public views and experiences to help shape plans: https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/

There is also work going on to formulate a new NHS 10 year plan which seems to be predicated very much on ‘3 shifts’

analogue to digital

sickness to prevention

hospital to community

I’m hoping that things will improve but fearing they won’t!

perhaps, as a retired registered nurse, I am biased but I really think that the funding of training and education  of student nurses and doctors ( and other professionals allied to medicine) need a complete rethink so we can have a reliable, efficient, and sustainable and a sufficient number of our ‘home grown’ workforce without relying on pinching staff from their own third world countries where they are sorely needed. We also should reconsider how these professionals can be encouraged to remain in this country and in their profession!

Hi !

I can understand the stress of seeing small rises, especially after prostatectomy and of course there is always the possibility of recurrence. I think Alwayshope summarize it well, if you by any chance is having a recurrence the tools at your disposal are great and you still have a very clear pathway of salvage treatment with curative intent.

But of course, I totally understand your hope that after your prostatectomy you were cancer free. Anyway, I’m hoping for the best but also know that, if recurrence, you have a arsenal of tools avaliable to get rid of the cancer permanently 

Best wishes - Ulf

May I add that I contacted my NHS GP in the morning to say that I had urine problems. Four hours later I had a DRE and was on the fast track for a Urology appointment. Ten days later I saw a Urology Nurse Specialkst, and within three weeks underwent an MRI.

I am very happy with the NHS - so far.

Best wishes to all