Due to long and endless waiting lists for patients in Britain, they are forced into taking treatment elsewhere and that causes them a fortune.
Due to long and endless waiting lists for patients in Britain, they are forced into taking treatment elsewhere and that causes them a fortune .
For example citing an arthritis case of an Ulster man, who had to pay thousands of pounds so that he can be cured fast, could have done free if by NHS. But the waiting list was too long to wait for. He had to spend £3,500 on two drugs - Humira and Enbrel - for rheumatoid arthritis. The bad part is none of them has been successful.The condition is really bad as can be seen form this example. Last August his position was 235th in the queue today has moved just 27 places.
The government had taken a stand by way of Health Minister last march, Shaun Woodward who promised to clear waiting lists with a £6m funding package over the next two years.
His statement in March was, 'Too many people are waiting to begin treatment with anti-TNF drugs for severe arthritis. I have had too many letters from patients telling their stories of huge anxiety. These patients are in pain and today I want to help alleviate their difficulty. ' Nothing has been done till date.
Every year some 800 newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients go through a daily pain barrier in homes right across Northern Ireland.
So some concrete steps have to be taken to keep the situation under control.
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