Hi Kevin

Sorry about yor wife's diagnosis.

We have some information which might be useful to you.

I hope it helps you answer your question.

Best wishes to you and your wife,

Jane

Thank you kindly Jane for pointing those links out.

I was hoping to hear from others personal experience & recommendations also.

Is 2 weeks too long to have waited ? Or am I being unreasonable?

Thanks in advance

Hi Kevin,

Just seen your posts.

Sorry your wife has been given a cancer diagnosis.

It's a dreadful worrying time to get through, waiting for test,xrays results, mdts etc.

My own experience was circuitous to say the least.

My GP sent me off on the urgent to be seen within 2 weeks system.

My appointment came through within the NHS.

Unfortuneately the way I was treated had me leaving saying I was not going back. ( I am a nurse and was appalled )

I went back to my GP and we decided to use private insurance.

I then had the rest of my early investigations under private care. No problems there.

The biopsy came back as cancerous and I was immediately switched back into the NHS. (Told no arguments, Not that I had any)

This was 7 days before Christmas,met my oncology nurse the next day, had MRI scan Christmas eve, surgery 11 days later.

I really could not complain at all about my 2nd lot of NHS care. Even now I am still under 3 monthly check ups and am happy to drive the 56 miles there for these appointments.

This tale of mine might not help you in your decision but a wait of 2 weeks is not unusual .

Good luck with it all and i hope others come on here to help you as well.

Best wishes

Annabel.

P.S. No knowledge of Harley Street.

Hello Kevin,

Sorry to hear about your wife.  I am no medical expert but I think that cancer care in the NHS is excellent if the treatment my Father got is anything to go by.  Where I have reservations is the wait for test results.  I know with Dad he sometimes had to wait weeks.  I dont believe that in private care the wait would be quite so long and agonising.  To this end I myself have now got private medical insurance - as a labour supporter all my life I am slightly embarrassed to admit that, but my reasoning is if anything happens, I can get tests done or get seen by a specialist as quickly as possible.  This is only my personal opinion.  I have no idea about private cancer treatments I'm afraid.  I think it is worth doing a bit of reading / asking around however.  My Dad had oesophageal cancer and I only found out after losing him that there was a 'Centre of Excellence' for this in Newcastle (NHS), not that Dad would have been treated there (we are from Aberdeenshire), but it might have been nice to know at the time - if only to have another option for where to get support / advice.  Kathryn

Hi Kevin,

I'd advise that you chase this up on Monday, whether or not you go down the private route. The average NHS time to get results back is between 1 and 2 weeks for an urgent referral - but these are usually given during a consultation with a consultant. They would normally arrange an appointment to go through the results with you at the same time as the tests are ordered.

There were some minimum times set out as compulsory NHS targets but these were removed by the current government and became best practice guidelines. About 80% of Trusts are currently hitting these guidelines, but an increasing number aren't. So well worth badgering them by phon for as early appointment as possible if one isn't already scheduled.

My own care has been through the NHS and I have no complaints so far, but waiting for results can seem interminable whichever route you go down. You may get test results back slightly quicker if you go private. I've no personal experience of private healthcare but I have had mixed feedback from people who have. The major advantage is that going private gets you away from having to comply with NICE guidance, which can open up new treatments quicker than waiting for them to be approved as cost-effective by NICE for NHS use.

I did discover earlier this week that the Clatterbridge Centre has a private clinic - any profits go straight back into the hospital as additional income. Again, I've no personal experience of the service but if you have private health insurance that, or somewhere more local to you, might be an option http://www.clatterbridgeclinic.co.uk/

I hope this helps

Dave

Hi Kevin ..... I am sorry to hear of your wife's illness.  I had medical insurance when I was diagnosed with BC in 2006, so have never been involved with the NHS system.  I go to Harley Street to see my oncologist at the London Oncology Centre.  There is no doubt that scans and results are quicker privately - I had my 3monthly 'MOT' yesterday and the CT scan results were available within an hour, blood tests 45mins and echocardiogram 5mins. Had them all done and saw my oncologist an hour later for all the findings!!!  Being private I have also been offered drugs which are unavailable on the NHS and operations/procedures which are also only available privately.  I have my chemotherapy at home.    I would certainly never have been able to afford all this without insurance - believe me, it is very costly so be aware!  I certainly think you can get a private diagnosis and go back into the NHS system - probably with the same consultant in a lot of cases.

I have heard many wonderful testimonies to the NHS in cancer care  - but I guess I would have to say that if you have the opportunity for private healthcare that is the way that I would personally go.  Good luck x

Hi,

For what it's worth - I arranged my diagnosis (lymph node removal and biopsy) privately and then moved into NHS once diagnosed. I did discuss with the consultant whether to stay private but was told there's little point - once diagnosed the NHS is the place to be and I'd have probably still seen the same people. It's the work prior to it being diagnosed as cancer where the real benefits are in being private IMHO - mostly in terms of timescale. Cancer treatment on the NHS was brilliant (and successful).

Simon.

Hi Simon

may I ask who you used for your diagnosis and the rough cost.  Our Mum has an enlarged Lymph node under her ear. Fried egg shape.  We seem to be waiting months from NHS - as down as slow growing - we want to make sure it is not spreading.  Doctor on holiday now so no biopsy booked in as yet.  But clearly needed.

many thanks

M

Sorry to report that the Clatterbridge Clinic link above brings up a company called pcsupport which is nothing tio do with the subject in discussion. Not sure what's behind that.