Hi - I just feel I want to share my experience with you so that no one is bullied by their GP !
I went to see my GP yesterday after discovering a lump in my breast over the weekend.
As you all know, we always think the worst and I was really worried, but kept telling myself it was porbably nothing.
The GP terrified me. He said it could be bad and that he wanted me to get to have it cheked within 2 weeks. I asked him if I could be seen quicker privatley because I have private medical insurance. He said no and that 2 weeks wasn’t that long to wait! O.K for him so say !!! And that their wasn’t any where locally that had the same services as the NHS hospital. I left the surgery really upset and terribly worried. The receptionist said she would fax the letter to the hospital and I would get an appointment date through in a few days.
I phoned my insurance company and they said I was covered to see someone and gave me the number. I phoned them and they fitted me in last night.
I have been seen by a conultant, diagnosed and treated. All in the time that I a still waiting for the hospital to send me an appointment.
I was lucky, I had one agonising day of waiting and not knowing. It was truely awful.
Health insurance is so expensive and too be honest some months has been really hard to pay out for. But it was worth it’s wait in gold yesterday. If you can cut back a little on some things to pay for this - I would recommend it to anyone.
My GP was rubbish and they don;t know everything. Make sure you push and chase for every appointment.
When I went to my GP he was the exact opposite - he admitted that our waiting list was a bit longer than he would like and when I said I had private medical insurance at work he said if I had it I was best to use it. I saw GP on the Monday and had an appointment for breast clinic on the Thursday … could have been earlier if I had chosen a different hospital.
On the advice of my consultant I had my dx tests and surgery private then he passed me back to NHS for follow-on treatment as he said I would have access to a bigger and better MD team in the NHS - my oncology team are based at the Beatson but see me at the local hospital and I can’t fault them.
Since dx I have been told that a 4 week wait to see breast care specialists on NHS would not have made any difference to the outcome - but it cut out 4 weeks of waiting and that was a great help
Hi
Well done for posting this.
I was given a fast track referral and seen within a week but when I’d REQUESTED a mammogram some months earlier I was refused and at that time the cancer was just growing inside. I’m fairly certain that NICE guidelines weren’t followed.
Anyone with insurance should go down that route and take advantage of having shelled out for it at that point but I’d also have to say that my subsequent private treatment has in some areas not been as good as I’d have had under the NHS.
D.
I have been able to mix and match private and NHS.Initial dx and tests all NHS and quick and efficient[found at routine mammo].Chem and op private.I had access to taxotere before it was widely available on NHS.I also had a private room for op which was lovely.I see onc at Nuffield hos and will continue to pay for that and for mammos when ins runs out in October[2 years cover only].I will have to have any future treatment on NHS but have confidence in local hosp.Having said that I hope co-payment is allowed in future.It is good to know you have had the best available.
Again it depends on your health authority i think.I CANNOT fault my NHS treatment