Hi,

I'm so sorry that your daughter is going through this, especially at what should be a happy time and now suffering a long delay. We aren't allowed to mention individual hospitals on the forum but, due to your location, I can guess which one you are speaking of & I know that they have lost some of their consultants & surgeons recently and have longer waiting lists than most other hospitals.

She has two options to try and speed things up. She can either go back to her GP and ask if there is another hospital further away that has a shorter waiting list or she can pay to see a private consultant. Either way, she should express to the GP that the stress of the delay is causing her distress, especially as it gets closer to the birth & the fact that the 'mole' is growing at a rapid rate. 

Did the dermatologist refer her to the plastic surgeon for their opinion or for it to be removed? If it was for their opinion, I would be tempted to pay to see a private dermatologist for a second opinion. If they are unsure what it is they really should be arranging for it's removal. Prices for an initial appointment vary depending on the location in the UK and the type of consultant. From memory, other posts have said it can be between £150 and £300 but you will need to ring around to get a proper quote. She can arrange it herself, it doesn't have to be through her GP but I suggest she sees her GP first because they may be able to give advice or try and move things along quicker.

However, if the referral to the Plastic Surgeon is for the growth to be removed, having this done privately will cost a lot more money. Again, I can only guess that it will be creeping up to the £1000 mark as it includes the cost of the biopsy and results - ringing around for a quote is the best way to find out. Whichever it is, after an initial private consultation or private surgery, she can then transfer back to the care of the NHS so that she doesn't incur further costs. 

Whichever she chooses, she must keep reminding them that she is now approaching her third trimester and that she can't afford any further delay to be diagnosed and treated before the baby is born. If sticking with this hospital is her only choice, I would wait another week and then call them again, stating the above, especially the stress it's causing to her & possibly the baby. They should be able to give her some idea as to when she may get to see the consultant. If they can't, I would then lodge a complaint with the Patient Liaison Service (PALS) at the hospital to try & get things moving.

Hopefully the mole will turn out to be benign. It's not unusual for moles to change or new ones to appear during pregnancy due to the change in hormone activity. Crossing fingers that she can get this sorted out quickly and that all turns out well. Please let us know how she gets on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)