Does anyone really feign illness to get out of something?

The mention of Munchausen’s has made me think of 50 years ago when I was a nurse on the surgical ward. Back in the day when the hospital matron made unannounced ward visits and the nurse in charge had to walk her round the ward and give her details of every patient.

I was in the middle of escorting her round and realised she was distracted and focusing on a patient on the other side of the ward. Then said excuse me a moment and she went to the bedside of the woman who was groaning in acute pain and awaiting the arrival of the theatre trolley in a few minutes.

Matron stooped over and had a whispered conversation with the woman who then leapt out of bed, hurriedly dressed and left.

Matron had recognised her from the previous hospital where she worked. The woman had feigned serious illness many times which had resulted in abdominal surgeries because her symptoms were so convincing. She managed to move around several hospitals in the country before it came to light.

Leaving KC out of it, yes, I know several people who are mysteriously 'under the weather' when they don't fancy going somewhere. I've also known several different people who would develop colds or non-specific gastrointestinal problems when something at work was likely to prove stressful. When younger, people would say their child was looking a bit pale or felt a bit hot to get out of things they didn't want to do.

I'd say it is a widespread thing, and has been going on for decades (or longer - I can't look back over centuries ). I really dislike it, as I think that at work people should all do what they are paid to do, and socially the time to pull out of an arrangement is when you are invited. When you have accepted an invitation you honour it unless it is impossible not to.

I didn't think that there was any question at the moment that King Charles is not not going to America owing to illness or for any other reason. What is the source of the 'several comments?'
My understanding was that KC's cancer is very real and has been reported for some time.

My own feelings are that anything that improves our relationship with Trump, however distasteful, is to our advantage in the current situation. It is easier to please a fool than tease a fool.

My sister in law fakes migraines all the time when she doesn't want to go somewhere, wants to leave early or wants attention. One day she will be really ill and nobody will believe her.

But that is simply fraud.
FDIA/S or FII is a psychological disorder where the primary motivation is to be the centre of medical attention.
To big up one's importance by presenting as an interesting or rare case. A kind of feigned victimhood to garner sympathy and frequent medical interventions.
There may be elements of financial fraud too but that is ancillary to the main driving force in FDIA or FII.
Simple benefit or insurance fraud is much more common than FDIA/FII.

I think you may find that the DWP is forever prosecuting benefit fraudsters who fake illness ie:bad backs, unable to even get out of bed, can barely lift a teacup, etc, etc.

Then they get caught out by stupidly and blatantly posting videos of themselves skiing, zip-wiring, playing golf, rock climbing or whatever on social media while on holiday.

As NotSpaghetti states above the medical terminology has changed to FDIA.
Also known as FII
Fabricated or Induced Illness.

When has this happened? If the OP is right why is Charles about to travel to the USA.

He is 77, an age when most people have health problems of some kind, plus the loss of stamina and tendency to get tired more easily than younger people which is common to everyone that age.

He hardly needs to pretend to be ill, and I do not think he does.

I have, on occasion, used migraine as an excuse for pulling out of some event, usually when I am feeling under the weather but have nothing specific.

It's Munchausen by Proxy nanna; Munchausen is feigning illness of one's self for attention.

Thanks for that info- it is a very nasty thing. I have come across it a couple of times ( not within our family, thank goodness ) . Devastating to the youngsters involved.

I think it's now called "Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another"

(or "Factitious Disorder Imposed on Self" if on oneself), Nanna8

There are plenty of hypochondriacs around but I don’t think King Charles is one of them. What is far worse is those who pretend their children are ill when they are not - I think it is called Münchausen syndrome.