Horrible story, very sad.
Does the UK allow private care for those who can afford it? Info appreciated.
Yes, it does, at least at the last I heard, which was a few years ago. What I was told by people living there is that if a physician is willing to make a deal with you, you can see him on non-business hours (his business hours being strictly devoted to the NHS), and it's perfectly legal.
I don't think that same option is available in Canada. For that matter, it's also not available here when it comes to Medicare patients. It's as though Medicare owns its patients, and decides who can and can not treat them.