Being a doctor in the age of the empowered patient is a challenge | Ann Robinson

As a GP, I know that people differ in their approach to serious illness. Some want to make their own choice about treatment, even if it runs counter to the experts’ advice

Good news that Ashya King, the child with a brain tumour whose parents took him to Prague for treatment, is now cancer-free. Does this happy result vindicate the parents in their spirited quest to defy UK doctors? Does it prove that the NHS cannot offer world-class service? Is it a victory for David over Goliath? Or for patient choice over medical hegemony? I don’t think it is any of those things, although I’m very pleased that he’s doing so well.

A parent whose child is diagnosed with a brain tumour is terrified and will obviously want the best for them. Speaking from experience your instinct is to trust no one. The local hospital may not seem equal to the task and it is only natural to wonder whether something better exists “out there”. There must be a newer, better, less damaging treatment your child is being denied because the NHS is skint. There is such a loss of control when your child is ill. To take control, even if it means charging across Europe, may seem preferable to passively accepting what is on offer.

Related: Ashya King’s parents say he is cancer-free after proton therapy

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