Potential skin cancer, NHS and private waiting times

[Comfortable8520]

This is more of a rant than anything else.

My GP referred me yesterday to dermatology on the cancer pathway. I was very anxious, so today I paid £200 to see a private consultant. She thinks I need a biopsy. If I do it with that clinic, it will be another £650, but I should get results within a few days.

I also have private health insurance (have been paying for it for several years). If I go through them, it should be covered, but the wait is around 7 to 8 weeks in total for the consultation, biopsy appointment and results. I was told by them that because the NHS is so busy, more people use private now hence the longer waiting times...

With the NHS, I do not even know how long it will take.

How did we get here? I have lived in this country for more than 20 years. I have spent thousands on education, visas and citizenship. I have worked continuously and paid a huge amount in tax. And now I am sitting here wondering whether it was all really worth it. What happens when I am 50, 60 or 70 and my health gets worse? How did we let politicians run the healthcare system into this state?

I didn't say it was. I said it mattered what type of cancer was suspected. None of this was in your OP or subsequent posts.

I am still staying on the NHS pathway too (in case it would take faster than private). It's good if this is the case, I am just saying it's not guaranteed

What happens when I am 50, 60 or 70 and my health gets worse?

It will be dire.

When I had a suspect mole it was under 2 weeks from gp to removal as the skin clinic can remove it when you attend up to a certain size, you then wait 3-4 weeks for the histology report (all clear in my case) I had a follow up appointment tentatively scheduled for 6 weeks after the removal which they cancelled as it wasn’t suspicious

It is stressful, especially if there's a possibility of melanoma (which is what mine was in the end). As other people have said, the others are less urgent although obviously you want them treated.

This happened to me last year, and I'm in South West London (treated by the Chelsea and Westminster hospital, under the NHS). Once I'd got a initial appt with the GP (a week), I was sent for medical photography (another week), and then saw a dermatologist (about five days later), biopsy the following week, then a two week wait for results, then plastic surgery two weeks or so later. I thought that was quite impressive - about 7/8 weeks in all.

Thank you for sharing. I am with AXA too and the hospital says once I had the appointment with them the biopsy will be done in 3-4 weeks and then I'd have to wait for the results.

Well that's because I have no idea... And even if they said it would be a less dangerous one I'd want it to be tested asap as the visual assesment can not confirm it for sure

I hope you are well and it's good that they dealt with it efficiently

NHS is fast when it comes to cancer treatment. It kicks in quick. Id always advise to go NHS for cancer treatment as you get the backup and fast treatment. Both my parents have had cancer ..mum was seen within 48 hours and dad was having his treatment within a week.

I am disabled.

honestly these days there is big demand for private because many people are aware of the big waits on the nhs.

i’m medically retired and in various u3a groups etc and so many people now go private for hip operation/knee replacement etc etc.

personally I just pay. I don’t have operations and similar but I do need to see consultants and nhs waits are long.

You may well have to wait that long. I had an NHS excision biopsy on Dec 6th last year and didn't get the results until Feb 16th. That's over 2 months and the wait was awful.

I had a biopsy last week. 6 weeks from referral to biopsy but 2 appointments before biopsy stage. NHS waits for cancer aren’t bad as there’s a lot of investment in that area.

Yes I'm fine @Comfortable8520 It was on my face (poor old face) so I have a (neat now, but I looked like Frankenstein's monster for a bit) scar, and will always be worried another will pop up. As an adult, I'm very very careful in the sun. But I grew up in the 1970s when we were pretty much all running about in the summer with no protection. The dermatologist said it probably started then. I tell people about it all the time, to raise awareness.

I hope you are seen soon. The treatment I had under the NHS for this was brilliant really, and I'm very grateful.

Sadly I think it’s a mix of an increased population and dwindling staffing. They cannot cope with the amount of patients referred each week. It’s not dermatology but my local gynaecology department has roughly 150 referrals per week, that’s not including cancer pathways. This is on top of return patients. It’s not sustainable.

My results will take 6 weeks but that’s due to how the tests are done and how they need to watch the cells over a short period to get an accurate diagnosis. They don’t just pop it in a drawer and ignore it.

Thank you. I am still on their path (as I also hope they will be faster than the private hospital) but I know it's not guaranteed they will be fast

Yes, I am quite aware of that thank you.

I am sorry to hear and I totally understand why. I am also considering paying for the biopsy. I am only waiting to hear from the NHS in the next few days. If that does not happen I think I will just go and pay form my pocket

That's awful. I am so sorry to hear about that

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.

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.

Similar situation to my neighbour.

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?

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.

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.