ARGH! Just spoken to BC nurse at local hospital who was lovely but told me that the average wait in this area for appointments was 4 weeks (just as you said lilacblushes). Called BMI about going private at Ross Hall and have been given 3 different prices from £160 for consult and whatever tests to “anything from £250 to £1000 depending on what is needed and there is no way of knowing what it will cost”. This is a nightmare. For those of you who have read my earlier posts you will know that I am supposed to be moving overseas in 6 weeks so there are time constraints involved. This is totally adding to my stress but there is a very nice lady at BMI helpdesk who is trying to confirm a price and get back to me.
Anyone with any experience? I have a discernable lump. am 32 and the hospital have said it would be an ultrasound rather than a mammogram.
Ax
I had an MRI which cost £415 surgery cost £2500 Tests after removal of the lump cost £315 the anesthetist cost £476 and 4 days in a private hospital cost £4550! Luckily I have private insurance through work so I only had to pay the excess of £50. Good luck
Hi Ladylumps.
I am 42, of menstruating age, and initially had mammogram, ultrasound & fine needle aspiration. The mammogram said lump 22mm, the ultrasound 17mm and the surgeon removed a tumour of 45 mm! So it’s all not that accurate. If you are unlucky enough for cancer to show up on your fine needle aspiration, don’t bother with core biopsy (I believe they are painful, and make no difference to the result anyway - the lump has to come out!) The good news for you about going private is you will pay LESS than the insurance companies have to pay. The bad news is it depends exactly what’s what. My tumour was grade 3, 45mm, and with lymph node involvement. I am using health insurance, but the bill is over £10,000 so far (I get sent statements by my ins co, just to let me know what I am costing them!), and I’m only half way through my chemo - I still have radiotherapy and tamixifen to have for 5 years (joys).
Any chance of help with the cost if it’s an organisation sending you overseas for 6 months?
All the best to you - hope your lump is harmless.
Thanks Ladies,
I have now just gone ahead and booked the appointment for Tuesday at 5.15. BMI have a card that you can pay off over 6 months interest free. If they find anythign then I would be going back to NHS. If they find anything that can be cut out and then say, drugs for a few months then the insurance company overseas will pick that up there.
Here’s hoping at the end of the day it is nothing to worry about - back to health physically, mentally and financially 
A
A
As you know I am very close to you and I was initially referred under our works private medical and went to Kings Park in Stirling - now they don’t do Mammos or US (apparently there is a long standing wrangle between health trusts and insurance company and ins companies won’t pay for these in Falkirk or Stirling)… so after initial FNA ruled out cyst I was referred to Ross Hall for further tests. My initial visit to Kings Park cost £150 and that was for consultation and FNA.
I had standard mammogram this was checked by diagnostic radiologist then further detailed mammogram which was again checked by diagnostic radiologist… after this I was given US… they then sent a report back to my consultant in Kings Park … the cost of the stuff done at Ross Hall was £286.43.
I was back to Kings Park a week later to be given the results of the tests done at Ross Hall - this was when I was told that I had early stage breast cancer. The consultant then did a further biopsy to take cells and my surgery was booked and I had a pre-med - this visit was charged at £808.
My surgery was WLE with node sampling, I was in hospital overnight and there was obviously lab work on the tumour and nodes - this cost £2279.50.
If you want a break-down of any of these (other than the Ross Hall one cos that was just listed as one figure) I am more than happy to email it to you if you want to PM me with your email address.
I do know that the private hospitals have different rates for self-funding patients to those under medical insurance -
the self-funding patients tend to get a cheaper deal.
I understand why you are thinking of going private - and if you do then skip Kings Park and go straight to Ross Hall so that they will do it all in a oner - but it is one of these things that is very difficult to put a figue on cos you don’t know what tests they are going to need etc.
I would go back and speak to your GP and explain that you really can’t wait 4 weeks to be seen at the breast clinic and then have to possibly wait for test results. If you are going to have to postpone your move then you are going to need a bit of notice … tell them you are prepared to travel to Edinburgh or Glasgow or any hospital in between if needs be ( I am assuming of course you would be happy to travel of course).
My advice is to be very careful with going private. I wanted to because of the time taken. But was warned against it. If and I very much hope you do not have the big C, it was then you would have to pay for all treatment. Including chemo and rads and Herceptin and any other drugs. A small fortune.
I desperately wanted to have treatment at another hospital but again my GP said this was not possible. Records cannot be transferred apparently and it would put my treatment back weeks I have been told. We also want to move but feel we cannot for at least a year in view of aforementioned until after Herceptin.
I did pay £150 for an initial consultation with the same consultant I would have seen at hospital. Worst value for money I have experienced. I got all of 5 minutes.
I hope things work in your favour and take care with your decision.
Starfish x
The consultant I was under at the private hospital is part-time NHS and part-time private and he put me back into the NHS for treatment after surgery … he said that in his opinion by doing this I would be under a bigger and better MDT than I would have been if I had remained in the private sector. It also meant that I was able to go to the Beatson in Glasgow for my rads which he considered the best cancer care unit in this area - again I cannot argue with him as the Beatson is renowned.
I still get private check-ups even tho I am now an NHS patient - although from posts in another thread I know this is not possible in all health authorities. I also still have an open oncology claim with the insurance company and should I wish to take any further diagnostic test or get any further treatment under the claim I still have this option, I have to phone them 1st to get it authorised but the girl who is my assigned agent says that they would not turn any request down and if I wish to revert back to getting treatment (which at this stage there is no further treatment planned other than the tamoxifen) I can opt to go back to receiving this at a private hospital using the policy.
Another option for you Ladylumps is to contact the clinic and ask if they can put you on the list to be contacted if they get a cancellation … it may mean a call the day before saying they have an appointment in the morning of course but worth considering.
Thanks, as always, for everything!
I have spoken with the BC nurse who advised that if I get a private consultation then she would advise:
- Phone the hospital before I attend the private appointment just in case there is a cancellation (I am on the list) or my appointment is imminent and I can forgo the private appointment.
- Get a print out of everything (if there is anything found), stay on the list for the Breast Clinic and then present at that with the print out of my screening. That way I will not ‘opt out’ of the NHS system and will avoid any time wasted by re-referral.
She also said she would speak to the lady who allocated the appointments and reiterate my situation. True to her word she did and the Breast Secretary called me at the end of the day today. Unfortunately my phone was dead and when I recharged it it was about five past four and the clinic shut at four. I will call first thing on Monday and if there is any chance of getting an appointment this week I will cancel the private one.
All the insights have been great. Might get back to you on the break-down if it comes to it Lilacblushes.
A
Yes feel free to use the email address that I PM’d you earlier today I check it throughout the day even when I am at work. I am more than happy to provide the breakdown of the charges for each appointment.
Bummer that you missed the call due to your phone going dead - 1st thing Monday morning tho get on to the clinic and be ready to go if they say they can fit you in.
Hi ladylumps
For what it is worth my input is this.I have had ny treatment totally on NHS ,no messing about been great,would not go private!
I am able to mix and match.Once insurance cover runs out in October I will pay for consultations and mammos but if I need more treatment will have it all on NHS as i couldnt afford to pay for drugs or hosp.Did ask if I’d be able to pay to have neulasta but was told no.
I was first dx whilst on NHS at “High Risk Clinic”, Mammogram and Biopsy and was confirmed with BC.
I then transferred to private as have cover on BUPA where I had further tests which led to me having bi-lateral mastectomy with immediate implants also a sentinel node biopsy. My operation was 10 days after my original NHS Dx.
However, I would be careful if paying privately to find out the fee’s upfront. I was absolutely staggered at how much the bills have come in at. So far my insurance company has paid out just over 12K including MRI, X-rays, Blood and Lab Work, 5 Nights in hospital, Aesthetic and Surgeons Fees etc… and I still have to have my permanent implants done.
My Dad had an operation privately and I know that most hospitals will give you a one price fee for certain operations… i.e. Gallbladder but I don’t know if they would do this for Breast Cancer surgery.
Hope this is helpful and wish you best of luck.
Sarah-Jane
Hi Sarah-Jane,
Thanks for responding. I have been told that the minimum for tests and consultations will be £250 and the max £1000. If they do a consult and then an ultrasound and don’t need to do anything else then it will be £250 only but with each additional test the cost will go up. We will then transfer back to NHS as we are self-funding it so couldn’t afford to do anything other than exploratory tests privately.
I have some experience of private healthcare (not self-funding) overseas and in my experience they would throw every test under the sun at you (it meant more money for them). When I was pregnant with my second child (Third pregnancy as #1 was missed miscarriage) they couldn’t find a heartbeat at 5 weeks and wanted me to return for a scan twice weekly for 4/5 weeks. I convinced them that measuring my hormone levels over two days would provide a quicker result for me and would cost less overall. They were not happy but did it (we were posted with the UK Government so ultimately the tax pounds were paying for it.
WestsideSue gave me some good advice earlier about not bothering with the core biopsy if anything was found on the needle aspiration (if I need that). It is great to get this advice as it will keep costs down for me. Any other advice about at which point if they find something I should call a halt to the tests and go back to NHS?
Thanks, Ax
Two things, I agree with Starfish, my mum was thinking of having some of her tests done privately, but was told that the NHS can make you have all your treatment privately and refuse to treat your cancer. I was shocked and didn’t believe that to be true, until I heard it being discussed on the news so be careful.
Secondly, Core Biopsies are more accurate that FNA because they actually take tissue rather than just cells. If you check up any information on the two you will see the core is much much more accurate. Oh and I had both and I had a local anaesthetic first, and there was no pain during or after.
I hope you get the clear results I got, fingers crossed.
I think the issue of part private then back to the NHS is one that differs from place to place. I am in the same health authority as Ladylumps and I was private up to and including surgery - after which point, on the advice of my consultant, my oncology treatment was all NHS.
I am appauled that the NHS would be allowed to refuse to treat a cancer patient - or indeed a patient with any condition/ailment simply because they have had tests at a private medical facility.
I totally agree with you Lilacblushes, when my parents told me this I thought surely the nhs would not do that, and then a few days later there was something on the news about a lady who had to pay for drugs that the nhs would not fund, and after that they refused to pay for anymore treatment and it happens quite often. Disgraceful is the only word for it!!!
After reading what you had posted I did a google search to see if I could find any info - just for clarification. The articles I came across were with regards to patients paying for drugs that are not available on the NHS … the upshot of the articles I read was that patients could not have top-up drugs administered in an NHS hospital and still get the rest of their care free on the NHS. I believe that one of the ladies mentioned in these articles is a member of this site and I’m sure she will clarify or correct me if I am wrong.
I could not however find any articles which stated that patients who ventured into the NHS for diagnostic tests would be refused treatment for cancer, or indeed any other medical condition, on the NHS. Again if anyone wishes to correct me or point me in the direction of literature etc that states otherwise I would be most interested.
I do recall someone posting that they had been told that if they paid for additional mammograms they would not receive their annual ones on the NHS.
Hi All,
From the BC nurses mouth (I am sure she would not like me to say straight from the horse’s mouth lo!) she said that if I go private to rush things on then not to cancel referral to NHS as I should, if need be, turn up at the appointment with my print out from the private hospital and would just be one further step along the way with the NHS. I also checked with the private hospital who said the same thing.
Will let you know the final cost tomorrow…
A
My mum was told (and my sister is a solicitor) who challenges just about everything the doctors told my mum and also did the same when I had my surgery. As they were told they could not mix and match any treatment. If you started private they are within there rights to refuse it. I would imagine its a mine field out there. Starfish also posted the same information. I think its ok to have Private tests etc. but once you start treatment you will not get any treatment on the NHS of any kind. As i said my sister is a solicitor and she would have checked out the facts. I don’t think its a definite no we won’t treat you, I think its more at the hospitals discretion whether they do it or not. But they do have the right to say no.
Is it the BC nurse at Falkirk Ladylumps? I’ve met them both briefly and both are lovely.
Jules - I agree that if the NHS are at liberty to refuse treatment it must be an absolute mine field and must be a decision that any hospital would take only if they were very confident that they could defend their actions to the hilt.
As I said I am lucky to be in an area where they are happy to have patients mix and match.
Once again - good luck tomorrow Ladylumps and I will be waiting in anticipation of your all clear.