To think Chris Evans experience of cancer treatment isn't common ?

[Warszawa]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66863274

I saw this article about Chris Evans having skin cancer removed. He mentions in the article time is of the essence and to get symptoms checked out - good advice of course but practically is that possible any more?

it's great that he got early intervention, but I've spent the last two weeks trying and failing to get a GP appointment for a fairly urgent matter.

I wonder what the experiences of "ordinarily people" ie those without the wealth to give access to private medical care are like? It doesn't mention in the article if he was treated on the NHS

Im not really looking at it from a political angle ( NHS has obviously been ran into the ground) I am interested to hear of peoples experiences - was it a battle to get seen etc

My AIBU is " I don't think you or I as a person reliant on the NHS would have had a similar experience to Chris, esp post pandemic"

My dad, 92 at the time, asked the GP about a patch on his arm. He was seen at hospital lickety-split, and it was removed within 2 weeks. All NHS.

I have a family history of squamous cell carcinoma and mentioned this when I asked my surgery for an appointment due to a growing patch of raised and flaky red skin on my face.
i saw the GP within a couple of days and she referred me to hospital on a two-week pathway. I was actually seen within a week and had a biopsy the following week.
The biopsy results took several more weeks to arrive but apart from that everything happened very quickly. (I was fine, no basal cell carcinoma.)

I found a breast lump on the Saturday, got a F2F GP appointment on the Monday who referred me under the 2wk urgent cancer suspected process, had a mammogram and all sorted (fatty tissue) on the Wednesday. I’ve known friends with this kind of thing seen very quickly too. Might be hard to get an appointment for some things but suspected cancer treatment is excellent in my opinion

I really love the older and wiser Chris Evans, btw. He has a lovely wife and family and seems utterly happy.

I've had both a suspect bleeding patch on my nose and a boob lump looked at under the NHS post-Covid. Both were seen within 14 days of referral, I saw my GP on the day I wanted to start with, and I had excellent care for both (luckily, non-) issues. No complaints here at all.

Where I am if there is any suspicion for lung cancer you get a CT within a week then either an appointment or a phone cal from a consultant with the result within a few days. And that carried on all through covid.

My experience of the cancer pathway within the NHS is entirely positive. I had an issue earlier this year that saw me in A&E and having a procedure, not cancer related but everything about it indicated that it looked very much like cancer. They had me back in within a couple of weeks for more exploration and then more. They couldn't find cancer but knew something was far from right. Since then they've been working hard to get to the bottom of the situation which has been ongoing for a very long time. The last procedure was last week which turned into another exploration and found something - newly arrived - that is almost definitely cancerous. I'll know for sure next week and in the meantime have a CT scan and an ultrasound booked for this week.

I think that in many instances people who have enough money to pay for private health do get quicker treatment than those of us who don't but when it comes to cancer the NHS does everything it can to get things done as quickly as possible despite being run into the ground.

I spoke to a GP about a mole in Oct in a phone consultation, sent a pic which wasn't viewed until I chased 3 weeks later, had a derm appt in Dec and had it finally removed in March the following year, turned out to be melanoma.

I had a BCC a year before then that took about 9 months from going to the GP to having it removed. Obviously not as serious so I wasn't worried about that one.

Is the 2 week pathway now going to be 28 days from October?

My GP practice is totally shite. (SE London) I rang, and spoke to the receptionist and explained that I had bleeding post menopause, and was concerned as my Mum had had cancer in her womb. They offered me a telephone consultation in 16 days time. I rang 111, and they had a dr from the surgery ring me the same day…. Consequently, I have had a total hysterectomy 2.5 weeks ago. I rang a week after the op to say that one of my scars was oozing yellow pus. They offered me a telephone consultation in a weeks time. Again, I rang 111 and they left a prescription for antibiotics at the local chemist. No wonder so many people arrive at A&E with non emergencies.

People saying that they can be seen straight away if cancer is suspected don't understand that many people can't even get through to their doctors' on the phone to explain what they have.

Can you pay privately to go to a doctor? In Ireland we have to pay for every GP visit privately, we just get on with it and pay it and usually get seen the same day, or the next day.

access to detection is limited

It isn't. I had a routine mammogram screening 27 months ago, and I attended the appointment. Had a callback, a further investigation and a diagnosis of breast cancer. Happily it was caught early and very treatable, so now excised, radiotherapy completed and I understand I am effectively cured, but attending follow up appointments is essential.

NHS struggling to provide safe cancer care, say senior doctors - BBC News

Very similar story to my mum 5 years ago. Sadly, I am not sure she would get the same quick service today.

Sorry to disappoint you but I am another one who had a same day GP appointment, a next day hospital referral and a biopsy and removal later the same week. All on our fab NHS.

You've missed OP's whole point.

I am sorry to hear that. Hope you are getting the treatment you need now x

DH was one of those who's diagnosis and treatment were delayed. By the time he was diagnosed it had metastasised, he died 15 months later.

Have a sore back. Called GP, told them I had private health insurance so all I needed was a referral. Had physio, a scan and blood tests all booked in within the week. They didn't need/ask for my health insurance details. Similarly, I'm getting some pain in my foot at at the moment and also got booked in for a scan and some more physio within a week or so.
These are admittedly the only two anecdotes I have as other than this I rarely have reason to use the NHS but given everything I read in the media, I was quite surprised at the speed everything got booked in.

So maybe it depends where you are in the country.

It depends so much on where you live/your specific surgery’s approach to appointments. Which is a problem in itself, obviously.

My MIL always complains that her GP likes to phone triage everyone first, but this week she spoke to him on Monday, had a face to face for 30 mins yesterday, and has got a CT and ECG tomorrow morning.

During Covid there was a Welsh oncologist on Radio 4 today admitting that people had died because they weren't referred to oncology on time. Unfortunately, I can't find a link to it, but I remember it well.

My stepdad was referred on the two-week pathway for suspected bladder cancer - the initial biopsy took around five weeks, and then we waited seven weeks for the histology to be confirmed.

During these seven weeks he was seen at the hospital and told his diagnosis was bladder cancer but they were waiting for the lab and MDT to confirm the TNM/grading. The discharge note from the surgeon also quoted bladder cancer as the diagnosis.

When he was finally seen again after 7 weeks, he was told they're not ENTIRELY sure that it was cancer. But it might be. And they can't rule out chemo/radiotherapy etc if it is.

He needs another biopsy for the lab to take a look. He was told this at the end of August. This follow-up biopsy is taking place on 10th October - followed by what will presumably be another 7 week wait.

I cannot believe how utterly awful the process has been. I knew the NHS was on its knees but I really did think that cancer diagnosis and treatment was one of the last preserves that was half-decent.

If I was waiting for around 5 months to find out whether or not I had cancer, after being told that I definitely do, I'd be in absolute pieces.

I was investigated for a breast lump found on a CT scan about 18 months ago. Luckily I was seen quickly, and the results back within a week of the biopsy. No more than 3 weeks from start to finish but honestly I was a wreck until it was confirmed as benign. Amazing treatment from the NHS - and I'm in the same town as my stepdad. I don't know why there's such a big difference. The only big factor I can point to is that I was referred to the dedicated Breast Unit whereas he was seen by the Uro-Oncology team in the big hospital.

"but when it comes to cancer the NHS does everything it can to get things done as quickly as possible despite being run into the ground."

Only when they know it's cancer. It's getting to the point of a referral or diagnosis that's difficult. So many people can't even get the GP to answer the phone let alone go any further.

My experience was the same. My GP initially told me it would be a 2WW appointment, but dermatology rejected it. I saw the GP in June and went private in August - I had it removed the same day as my first appointment with them. Then I eventually got an NHS appointment through in May because my GP hadn't cancelled it correctly (I did phone up and cancel it). I was surprised at how long the wait would have been!