I was back in the UK for a couple of weeks and whilst I was there submitted my sample for genetic test for the BRCA gene (I have UK state pension so entitled to access NHS services).
This test is being offered to people of Ashkenazi descent as we have a very significantly increased risk of having this gene mutation, and consequently breast cancer.
France does not encourage genetic testing and, even more, the principles of laïcité mean it is completely inconceivable to select out and target people of a specific ethnic group.
To me this is shortsighted to let rigid policies stand in the way of community health (and more expensive treatment rather than prevention). So extremely glad to have luxury of straddling both systems.
If this wikipedia article is right then Laicite should not make any difference to the identification of risk groups for the purposes of healthcare. It seems bizarrely regressive.
Except there is no mechanism to identify people at risk, even if it was considered acceptable. Age and sex is all the data that has ever been collected on me.
My Ashkenazi neighbours in Belgium and their extended families all over the world were all on the Tay-Sachs database (and possibly others too) for purposes of seeing whether marriages could be considered. I don’t think my Sephardic neighbours and their families were.
Interesting. I can see that people can seek prenatal counselling if they want that does include discussion on genetics, and could can request genetic screening. But I can’t see anything official that directs people to a pre-mariage database in France. So one would have to know in order to ask.
Very interesting. Whilst of no use in the health sphere/ your situation, I’ve heard state researchers say that the French government is forced to use ‘place of birth’ information, particularly foreign birth places, as a very crude indicator of the ethnic makeup of French society, in the absence of any legal ability to survey the population’s ethnic composition. As we all know, copious official forms ask about place of birth…
I don’t think it’s an official (in the sense of ‘organised by the state’) thing, and maybe it is not even all Ashkenazi people, only Hasidim (my neighbours) I was told about it by someone I worked with. Anyway because of endogamy it’s a way of reducing the chances of having children with TSD etc. As far as I remember people were screened as children and got a number and if you later put two numbers together you’d get either a yes or a no for a possible marriage. Neither possible partner would know apparently.
I once had a stand-up row with a French policy wonk who was convinced that the UK being able to tailor policies to communities based on collected data was a cause of racism. And France didn’t suffer from racism.
It’s always been a peculiarity of France that the collection of information on ethnicity is prohibited. If you’re French, that’s it. In many ways it’s a good policy, but it gets in the way of the collection of useful information that might be used preventively.
I was asked about my views on laïcité in my interview for French nationality. I knew it was a likely question and worked hard to formulate answer that would be acceptable without perjuring myself. Can’t remember it now but was very elegant French
I had that test several years ago in France, in Limoges, to find out whether I was at risk of breast cancer after having had ovarian cancer. The result was negative. It did take a bit of time for the result to come through. And I still get the MT to check the CA125 marqueur as part of the annual blood tests.
Out of interest, in UK did you need to request this test or is it something the NHS alerts you to and recommends automatically?
I wasn’t aware the NHS kept details of ethnicity. (They didn’t even manage to keep a record of my existence, let alone losing my entire medical history.) Seems a bit chilling to have racial data kept somewhere. Does not each individual know and keep their own details, which can be presented to their GP for regular developments?
I always have the feeling with the NHS that ‘free’ service means they own your health. Next they’ll be telling who can smoke and what people should weigh. Oh, wait!..…
I would like it to be true, but my understanding is that receipt of a UK pension does not give anyone a right to access NHS services if they live in the EU. One can use an EHIC card (or equivalent) in emergency but otherwise will probably need insurance.
“You may also be entitled to an S1 form through exporting a UK State Pension or other qualifying benefit if you are in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement.”
I “think”this is restricted to those who are covered by the withdrawal agreement rather than the totality of people who have S1s from the UK but I might be remembering this wrong,
Certainly my S1 letter which I got before the end of the transition period specifies I can use NHS services on production of the letter.
Maybe someone who is not covered by the withdrawal agreement could tell us what their S1 letter says?
And first para reiterates than NHS is residence based and moving means loosing access.
Has anyone asked their MT and obtained a BRCA test in France? In theory, holders of an S1 would have France healthcare reimbursed by NHS. But proving that here in advance may be a challenge.
The UK reimburses France for costs incurred (I think now actuals not pro-rata), but it can’t make France carry out something that is against policy.
As Fleur said above it is possible, but within the French health service context of justifiable need. I think to rock up and say I’d like one because I’m Jewish would create difficulties.
