More desperation in England:
A DESPERATE cancer patient is planning to fly across Europe for surgery after waiting four months for treatment in Leeds.
Phil Murdoch was diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer in early October and has still not been treated.
He is worried the long wait will kill him - so worried, the 60-year-old is thinking of flying to Cyprus and paying for surgery.
He said: "I can't waait much longer. What else can I do? I'm not going to die. "My brother-in-law lives in northern Cyprus and he has found a Turkish surgeon who is prepared to do it.
[...]
On October 11 he saw a consultant at St James's Hospital. "He told me I had an aggressive form of prostate cancer and ignoring it wasn't an option."
Scans and appointments followed and he next saw his consultant on November 18, when he was given treatment options - surgery or radiotherapy. He opted for surgery but was told he must speak to a radiography consultant before deciding.
When he returned to the original consultant on December 13 and repeated his surgery request he was put on a list and told to call if he had not heard anything by mid January.
On January 27 - more than three months after he was diagnosed, he was told he was "on the list but not in the diary".
17 Feb 2006 @ 8:52am