Potential skin cancer, NHS and private waiting times

I’ll also add one concern, I would not want some random private clinic taking my biopsy sample and doing what with it? Will they hold it for you? Will they release it to the NHS when the NHS needs it?

Treatment for melanoma specifically is based on molecular analysis of the biopsy sample. So oncologists rely on that sample to determine what treatments will be effective against your specific melanoma. Some treatments don’t work on certain genetic types. That sample will need to be analysed, if you have cancer. Will they allow that? How much will it cost to get the sample to NHS pathology? If they won’t transfer it, how much will those analyses cost you privately and will the NHS accept them? Is it a reputable lab? I wouldn’t trust just any random clinic that can hang up its shingle to do that.

I have melanoma. I was seen on a Wednesday/Thursday by GP, 2 week referral sent that day and I had my first hospital appointment on the following Tuesday. This was for teledermascopy (photos of the lesion). I received those results by post the following week and someone rang me around the same time to book me in for surgery to have it removed. Surgery was about 3 weeks after my GP appointment. Biopsy results in 4 weeks.

The longest wait was for the GP appointment!

I would not go private. Who cares if you blow £1000 on a private appointment and biopsy when you still then need to funnel back into the NHS for further surgery and treatment. It doesn’t save you any time at all and it may cause delays because the MDT will be at the mercy of the private hospital sending them updates because those private doctors don’t sit on the MDT that will discuss your case.

I haven’t been able to work since I was diagnosed 2 years ago. Save your money in case you need it to pay your bills. But do stay on top of the hospital for updates. My care under the NHS has been amazing. I cannot fault them. But if you aren’t sure about something or it seems to be taking awhile (for example, after 2 weeks, you haven’t heard from them), ring and find out what’s going on. My experience though has been that everything happens very quickly when it needs to.

Well I think he is clearly, cos I married him. Beauty , eye of beholder though and all.

I went to the GP 3 times about a suspicious lesion on my face. It was there for years. I was informed that it was 'fine' each time. Eventually, I gave up and booked for a private removal, with hist reporting.

It was not fine. The NHS ignored a basal squamous carcinoma on my face, despite me asking multiple times to be referred.

We also have private health insurance now. I am undergoing investigation that could, potentially, be cancer through this. It could also be nothing. The NHS weren't remotely interested in this either - despite the symptoms being ones all women are told to have checked.

Go private, OP.

Someone work with recently had a biopsy for suspected skin cancer - took 5 weeks from seeing GP to having the op, results are pending but it’s been about 2 weeks. We have PMI and it was going to be no quicker.

@Ireolu is your DH drop dead gorgeous? Every single dermatologist I saw through my treatment was, male and female. Is it a thing?

Personally I would start the private claim and peruse that at the same time. I was referred via the NHS last month under the 2 week thing. GP said NHS would be quicker but I rang Bupa anyway as we have private healthcare. I was offered a private breast clinic appointment at 9am the next day. By 12 on that day I had seen the consultant, had a mammogram and ultrasound scan, they found a cyst and so had drained it there and then. Two days later I got the NHS appointment through and it was 5 weeks away. But dermatology may be different. So my advice would be start praying both until you know which option will be faster.

DH is a dermatologist. If he thinks melanoma, he will typically try to take it out on the day. Will get patient to sort authorisation out with their insurance company then organise theatre and nurses.
If BCC (patients on the NHS waiting 9-12 months for the surgical treatment of this mohs on the face) because of its lower risk of metastasis he can plan and organise over a couple of months. If biopsy proven he operates typically within a month privately. So his time frames are very dependent on what he thinks is going on. More and more consultants though are not seeing insured patients so that may be adding to the waits to be seen privately.

If I were you. …stay on the nhs pathway but privately go to see a consultant who works locally in your nhs. Get your biopsy privately either on insurance or pay. This is the easy, cheap bit. Your consultant will tell you then whether to have MOHs treatment for a malignancy or hopefully it is an actinic keratosis or pre-cancerous or nothing. If you need MOHS you can go straight back into the nhs, but you have a relationship with a specialist and you are further in the process, ie they will know it is a cancer. Or at this point use your private health insurance. In a nutshell dont wait for your diagnosis, get it done.
I paid £1000 for biopsies for a bleeding area on my nose. The specialist also picked up on a pearl white area and did two biopsies. They don’t hurt but you will have stitches and plasters for two weeks. I had results within a week of actinic keratosis, watch and wait. Specialist was surprised as he thought one was basal cell carcinoma. MOHS is invasive and expensive but is the gold standard for removal - my mum is on the nhs and has multiple bcc’s and has just been given ‘chemo cream’. My gp says that lack of funding in our area usually means you will be given cream for early stages rather than surgery.

My son did get diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and it all happened fairly quickly. Biopsy was done immediately and we found out the results and the cancer they suspected it was a week later with the confirmation of the type of cancer it was coming a few days after that.

His care on the NHS was great and he's now been in remission for 18 months. Fingers crossed it is benign, hope everything goes well for you.

She charged you £200 just to look at it. If she says you need a biopsy that’s another £650, more money for the clinic and more money in her pocket. Private medicine is incentivised in favour of doing tests and procedures.

I was referred to dermatology by the GP on the 9th April. My appointment is tomorrow. I'm in Cambridge so obviously not the same hospital, but most places do try to get you in within 2 weeks.

Can you check the dermatology waiting times on the hospital you'd be referred to?

Similar situation to my neighbour.

I'm sorry to hear about this. However, it must depend what area. I am North Staffs/Cheshire border, and my neighbour did a certain routine test a few weeks ago as she has recently turned 60, and she had to be referred to a specialist consultant.

She got a meeting with the consultant within 7 days, and the scan was 9 days later. (She had it yesterday.) She will get the results before the end of April (so within 2 weeks of the scan.) It's a shame it takes so much longer for other people.

I was referred on the cancer pathway (NHS) for a suspicious lesion on my leg two weeks ago. I had specialist medical photographs taken at the doctors and they were forwarded to the consultant the same day. I received a letter yesterday to say that having reviewed the photos he was satisfied it is Seborrhoeic keratosis and so nothing to be concerned about. Have to say that I was amazed at the speed and efficiency of the whole process.