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EastEnders fans outraged at show’s dangerous medical information

The way the storyline is being portrayed is not accurate

EastEnders came under fire once again after Tuesday’s episode when Linda Carter feared her cancer had returned.

After her symptoms resurfaced on Monday night, Linda tried to pretend it wasn’t happening, but after pressure from Woody to make an appointment to see someone, Linda eventually called.

But she was then told she would have to wait FIVE WEEKS to be seen, which viewers are saying is totally inaccurate.

Read more: EastEnders viewers slam mashed potato storyline

The NHS website states that “You shouldn’t have to wait more than two weeks to see a specialist if your GP suspects you have cancer and urgently refers you.”

Having recently been diagnosed and treated for cancer, it’s surely completely unfeasible that she would be made to wait for five weeks to even see someone about her returning symptoms.

Fans were quick to express their annoyance at yet another lack of research into a serious issue.

“If Linda has just finished cancer treatment they would never make her go five weeks when she’s symptomatic again,” said one.

While another added: “Totally wrong (yet again) I’ve had two scares and on both occasions had an appointment within a week.”

“Knowing Linda’s past medical history, surely the hospital would have seen her a lot sooner,” commented another.

A fourth said: “No way does even our current stretched NHS make a cancer patient wait five weeks when their symptoms return.”

“It’s safe to say EastEnders has definitely got it WRONG again. The longest you’re allowed to be left if you think you have cancer is two weeks,” said another.

The one good thing to come out of the whole thing is that Mick finally knows the truth about her having faced cancer. But how he’ll react we’ll have to wait until Thursday to find out.

It’s not the first time in the last week that the soap has annoyed its fans with a mistake after Stacey’s kids were taken away from her by social services in the evening after one report of a child being potentially at risk.

Read more: EastEnders slammed for social services portrayal

Carmel had anonymously called social services to report Arthur’s bruises and the social worker swooped in on Friday evening to remove the kids from Stacey and Martin’s care.

Viewers were fuming at the way social services were portrayed with one stating: “FFS EastEnders just makes mine (and plenty of others’) jobs harder! Stop painting a bad picture of social services.”

“Social services storyline is so far fetched a) they don’t turn up that quick and with police b) wouldn’t just remove them,” said another.

And a third slammed: “Since when have social services started removing children without investigating?! Shocking and ridiculous portrayal of them in EastEnders.”


Carena Crawford
Associate Editor (Soaps)

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