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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that the NHS should carry out this procedure?

30 replies

risingstar · 04/05/2011 09:20

my dh has a largish cyst on his leg. he has had it for some time and eventually went to the doctors a month ago. Dr confirmed that it was a cyst (and nothing worse) and told him to booked him in with another GP at the surgery who would remove it.

so the day is today, i drop him off at the doctors.

doctor takes a look and tells him that because it is on his leg, it cannot not be removed on the NHS and his only option is to go private. Bearing in mind that the doctor is capable of doing this ( it would take a maximum of 10 minutes) and dh is actually at the appointment booked to do the procedure and therefore the doctors time is already taken can anybody explain how this is saving the NHS money by not doing this procedure? not to mention that the skills the GP has that makes him capable of carrying out the procedure has been paid for out of the taxes that we all pay.

OP posts:
mousymouse · 04/05/2011 09:26

yanbu - this is ridiculous. complain!

CareyFakes · 04/05/2011 09:30

YANBU, I would complain

BendyBob · 04/05/2011 09:34

YADDNBU. It's utterly crazy. Complain but I bet they stick to their gunsHmm.

My own dd had a spider neavus on her face and they wouldn't fund it's removal and we were told to go private.

I wrote lots of letters to the PCT, sent them photos, even the GP wrote and backed me up saying it was distressing her and she was being teased at school, but they wouldn't budge. I was so Angry. Admittedly it wasn't something that could be done by the GP and required a small op, but even so I felt it should have been covered by the NHS.

ggirl · 04/05/2011 09:36

Ridiculous
yadnbu
complain , they're wasting everyones time
some gp's only want to do things they know they'll get QoF payments for

EcoLady · 04/05/2011 09:39

Why does he want it removing? Is it causing him a health problem or is it purely cosmetic?

porcamiseria · 04/05/2011 09:41

i had a large unsightly lipoma removed from my nether regions (shame!) by the NHS, they are being silly, complain

Original poster
risingstar · 04/05/2011 09:52

well, it is mainly cosmetic tbf, but it has grown larger over the last year and the first doctor said that it would probably get bigger still.

in light of bendy's comments i dont hold out much hope- but given the facts that he was told by 1 gp that it would be done and the actual person that could do it spent just as much time telling dh why he couldnt do it as it would have taken just to do the sodding thing, backed with the fact that DH has lost income (self employed) makes me cross. not forgetting that it is the first time dh has been to doctor in about 20 years!

OP posts:
sprinkles77 · 04/05/2011 09:56

get a second opinion. Tell Dr it interferes with his walking / getting dressed or any of the other very legitimate reasons he has to get it removed. If however it's not that big and not that unsightly maybe the risks of removing it outweigh any benefits. My DH has lots of lipomas all over. some quite big, but are all under his clothes, and only one is uncomfortable, so have been advised to leave.

dreamingbohemian · 04/05/2011 10:41

YANBU

My own experience, and from what I've heard of others, is that the NHS is not that great when it comes to anything dermatological... even skin cancer screening...

I've had to resign myself to going private for biopsies, otherwise they just won't happen.

gawdblimey · 04/05/2011 10:42

what a lot of nonsense, I have had things removed from my leg before, usually in the docs surgery

takethisonehereforastart · 04/05/2011 10:48

YANBU.

My DH has just come out of hospital because a cyst he was told was fine has suddenly become infected. I do mean suddenly as well, it was just a matter of hours from it being a small and hardly noticable lump to a bright red and painful mass that made him feel very ill. Within an hour of going to the doctor he was in hospital having it removed.

It's the second time it's happened. The first time put him in hospital on a drip but even telling the doctor about that wasn't enough to convince them to remove the second one before it became infected.

Surely a ten minute op at the doctors is better than having someone in hospital for days (two days this time, four days the first time) at a time?

Let your doctor know what happened immediately and see if he can send you somewhere else.

lubberlich · 04/05/2011 10:50

Never underestimate what wankers the NHS can be over stuff like this - eventhough I am a cancer patient I had to jump through all manner of hoops to get cysts removed from my shoulder. I had to get the full force of my oncologist etc to support me in order to get it done. The procedure itself took 15 bloody minutes - but weeks of wrangling to arrange.
Complain complain complain!!

BendyBob · 04/05/2011 11:02

There is no joined up thinking though. There are so many budgets and departments involved before money gets spent that no-one makes a decision anymore about what gets spent where and everything is tied up in bureaucracy. Pinning anyone down to complain to is like catching smoke.

It's obvious to most rational people that in the long run quickly sorting out a minor problem before it turns into a major one will save time and money.

IWantAnotherBaby · 04/05/2011 11:23

Unfortunately this is correct. As GPs we are no longer supposed to remove anything for cosmetic reasons, and although many of us still do in some circumstances, we are no longer reimbursed by the NHS for the cost of the instruments used (if disposable) or their sterilisation (reusable instruments), or the cost of sutures, dressings etc, so we do it at our own expense. A very simple procedure like excision of a sebaceous cyst will cost the GP between £15 and £50 to remove (sometimes more), which the practice (NOT the NHS) will pay for. So really why should they?

If there is clinical justification for the procedure, then the NHS will fund it, either with the GP doing it, or via referral to the relevant surgeon/ dermatologist. In our practice only the Dr who will actually be doing the procedure can book a patient in for it; IE what happened to your DH cannot happen, when a doctor books a procedure for another GP to do. This should be your complaint, IE that you were misinformed, but the fact that the NHS won't fund it is because it is a cosmetic procedure and the NHS rightly has other priorities for its money.

VivaLeBeaver · 04/05/2011 11:37

Check out the DIY cyst removal videos on YouTube. DH frequently takes one out the back of my nect with a potato knife. He's not getting the whole sac though as it keeps coming back. Wish it was on my leg as I'd have the bugger out myself but I can't see mine. Still it takes about 6 months to grow back.

discobeaver · 04/05/2011 13:30

Potato knife!
There was a story a while ago about a child with a birthmark on her face that was growing and threatening to blind her, but no nhs op for her. I think a private businessman donated the cash but it was shocking.

RunsWithScissors · 04/05/2011 13:42

iwantababy sorry to bother you, but I have a skin tag that gets rubbed a lot (underarm) and my DD likes to twist it while bfing. Would the NHS allow it's removal, or should I try to schedule privately with dr in my surgery that does minor ops?

Sorry to hijack OP. I think the fact you were given an appt. means YADDDNBU!

GnomeDePlume · 04/05/2011 14:20

I think that this must depend on the practice. My local practice has removed skin tags from me and also a cyst from DD's back. The cyst on DD was sent off for testing just to be on the safe side. Surely that is part of the point of removing a cyst along with ensuring that it doesnt get knocked (a risk on leg) and become infected. Cosmetic reasons are fairly low down in this I would have thought.

IWantAnotherBaby · 04/05/2011 16:39

runswithscissors its worth asking your own GP; they may be perfectly happy to do it for you. I have just this minute removed a skin tag that rubbed a lot from the bra line of one of my patients (am now sitting here waiting for the next one to show up).

If its causing significant symptoms then removal is fair enough; generally (except in specific circumstances) it's up to your GP to decide whether they are willing/ able to do it themselves, and if not, to advise as to whether it will be covered by the NHS or not.

CheshireDing · 04/05/2011 17:45

Book a flight to Oz, pay $100 from the cosmetic Dr to numb the area with a couple of needles and dig it out. I was very pleased with the results to my leg and neck when we lived out there. It was classed as private but I only had to wait a week. They always remove stuff like that because they are obsessed with skin cancers.

Plus you will get a holiday out of it :)

dreamingbohemian · 04/05/2011 20:29

You don't have to fly to Oz, a Harley street clinic will do it for £100-200. Obviously not as nice a holiday though Smile

Scissors there are lots of DIY options for skin tags, google it.

I used to get them under my arms and found a good way to get rid was to tie a piece of thread tightly around the base, within a day or so it would shrivel up and fall off. Don't do this if it's inflamed or infected though.

nightowlmostly · 04/05/2011 21:04

I have a two cysts on my scalp, and went to the GP last week about them. One hurts a little, and the other is growing, I'm worried about people noticing it.

The GP was very good about it and referred me, but did say that they may not do anything about it because of the cuts. I hope they can do it, I'll have to go private if not, anyone have an idea how much it'll be?

OP, YANBU!

huntersmum · 04/05/2011 21:44

My DD (17) has a large birthmark on her upper leg and our private health insurance would not cover laser treatment for its removal as it was deemed cosmetic. However she was able to have the treatment on the NHS and had 4 or 5 sessions of laser treatment until she decided the discomfort outweighed the lack of improvement. I think it depends on which health authority you are under. Needless to say we have cancelled the private health insurance!!

chocolatehobnobs · 04/05/2011 22:04

Yabu the nhs cannot afford non essential treatment that is why these things are rationed. As a dr this cyst is unlikely to cause a problem. It is reasonable for you to be irritated at time wasting but would have cost the practice not nhs.

nijinsky · 04/05/2011 22:09

Tell him to make another appointment at the doctors and tell them its causing him depression and insomnia due to his constantly thinking about how unsightly it is and how worried he is that he will knock it and it will get infected. Tell him to lay it on slightly thick.

Cysts may not be covered if purely cosmetic but depressive illnesses in DSM IV are.