Health and beauty

Former Mayor of Reading Bob Green is full of praise for the treatment he received from the NHS
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Former Mayor defends NHS cancer treatment

By Linda Fort
September 01, 2009

Comments by South East MEP Daniel Hannan have fuelled the debate in the United States about the comparative state of health care on either side of the Atlantic.

But one remark to American viewers has prompted getreading to see how true his comments really are of the NHS in Reading.

Mr Hannan said: “If you have prostate cancer they tell you OK go over there, join the queue we will see you next year, in October.”

But Joe Wise, spokesman for the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, insisted: “All patients suspected of having cancer are seen within two weeks.

“All diagnosed patients available for treatment will be treated within 31 days.”

And former Mayor of Reading Bob Green, who received treatment himself for prostate cancer last year, said: “I had absolutely wonderful treatment from Royal Berkshire Hospital. I couldn’t fault them.”

Mr Green, pictured, of St Andrew’s Road, Caversham, was treated for some months with back pain before he was diagnosed.

He said: “The minute I had the blood test which showed there was cause for concern I was treated immediately. I was taken in and operated on the next day.

“As soon as I was diagnosed the treatment was rapid and efficient.”

Mr Green said he had not seen any of the comments on the NHS made by Mr Hannan.

Naz Sarkar, Parliamentary candidate for Reading West, has called for the Tory Whip to be withdrawn from the South East’s Conservative MEP after Mr Hannan called the NHS a “60-year-old mistake” on an interview with Fox News in America.

On Saturday, Mr Sarkar launched a campaign to back and promote the NHS.

He said: “Most people in Reading won’t be able to afford private healthcare and therefore rely on the NHS for treatment.

“It is a disgrace that a Conservative MEP for the South East is going on American TV running the NHS down.

“The NHS is also a major employer in Reading and provides jobs as well as an excellent service. It is disappointing that I haven’t seen senior Conservatives here in Reading rushing to distance themselves from his views.”

Reading West Conservative candidate Alok Sharma said: “David Cameron has made it absolutely clear that the Conservatives are the party of the NHS and we are the only party committed to the resources the NHS needs.”

lfort@reading-epost.co.uk

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Sig. Sorry to disagree, but the US system is awful for a lot of people. Without going into personal details, I really do have first hand experience of it. Yes, I'm quite aware of things that could be improved in the NHS. It's a fact of life that nothing is perfect but I'm thankful we have it warts and all, and so is my American husband.

Dids, Bracknell
02/09/2009 at 13:50

Dids, I spend a lot of time in the U.S. and I agree thet Americans are being badly served by the press, but where you're wrong is that FOX is about the only network where you can get both opinions about a subject ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, forget it all one sided and liberal.

The health care system in the U.S. is not awfull and the NHS should be slagged off because it's to slow and expensive, totally second rate, if you had a choice you probably would not want it either.

SIG.
01/09/2009 at 15:55

Dear all. Everything Dan Hannan is taken out of context and twisted. If you do not agree with him, by all means say so! But do not treat the NHS like a sacred cow which can not be touched no matter what. We have to move on with the times and debate whether it is delivering treatment promptly and cost effectively! Personally know many people around me with bad experience of the NHS. So, Let's stop pretending and have a grown up discussion on the issue. As for Sarkar's views, parrot comes to mind..

Troy
01/09/2009 at 14:11

I have family in the US, so know about their broken health care system and how they're slagging off ours.

I emailed direct to the MEP in question and told him he should be ashamed of himself but I doubt he read it. And if he did, he appears to be so thick skinned he probably didn't care.

I have heard that if you write to Fox News and object to the way they're covering the subject, your comment is removed after a few minutes.

The American people are badly served by their news and TV reporting. It seems incredible that no one considers a few decent length TV programmes showing how other countries systems work, is worth doing. Sad, but their loss. Their loss!

Dids, Bracknell
01/09/2009 at 12:56

I have family in the US, so know about their awful system and how they're slagging off ours. I wrote direct to the MEP in question and told him he should be ashamed of himself, but I doubt he read it.

If you write to the Fox News message boards complaining about their 'exagerated' reporting and attempt to put them right, your comment gets wiped after a few minutes. Unfortunaly in the States, their news and TV reporting leaves a lot to be desired. No one seems interested in showing how the various health systems in other countries work. Their loss!

Dids, Bracknell
01/09/2009 at 12:43

Good on Cameron for not bowing to Sarkar's demands (not that he has probably ever heard of him unless he goes on YouTube). We need politicians to speak there minds, Hannan realised the rest of his party doesn't agree with him (and neither do I), but he should be able to put his points across.

If we go down Sarkars route then no politician other than the PM and Cabinet would be able to put across an opposing view, which as we've seen over the past few years is not good for democracy.

Chipper, Reading
01/09/2009 at 11:32

Well, surprise, surprise, the US slagging off off our services when their Mickey Mouse 'version' of the NHS' is probably substantially worse to ours. If MEP Daniel Hannan (if that is whom started off this) had been comparing the US's Private medical system to that existing in the UK, and which of these was better, it would have made some sense, but as far as I am aware, he didn't. I rather suspect if the public health services in the US were compared to that provided under the NHS, this piece of news would have panned out totally differently! However, the hypocrisy that inhabits the media in the US, wouldn't want to run that story, as it would show how apalling their version of the NHS actually is!