Lynne Franks, the former PR guru and inspiration for Jennifer Saunders’ Edina Monsoon character in Absolutely Fabulous, wrote recently about travelling to Germany to have her blood cleaned. It was a birthday present to herself for her 75th, and cost nearly €6k. It’s not available in the UK, where she lives, although the NHS does have an apheresis department if you have blood cancers or other blood disorders.