Regional variations in HIV treatment

My brother George was diagnosed with HIV about 15 years ago. Seven years ago it had progressed to AIDS.

While he was in London the treatment he was given was first class; everything that could be done, was done. No expense was spared and no help refused.

However, George wanted to come back and live with his family in Cumbria. Here it was a different story. There was not enough budget to provide him with the medication he needed and he travelled every six weeks to London for treatment. This was a round trip of 900 miles and did not help his condition.

Too much for the system

On his last trip home from London his health was very bad and he crashed his car. This accident was such a shock to his system that George never recovered from it and died in the local hospice four weeks later.

At the hospice they admitted that they had only seen one other case of AIDS before and also admitted they did not know how to treat him.

My brother died the most terrible death which I feel could have been avoided if more money and more education were available in all parts of the UK. He was 47 years old.