Worth using BUPA for breast cancer?

[falstaff1980]

My wife has just been diagnosed with a ductal carcinoma, it'll either be an operation in a few weeks after some more tests, or 6 months of chemo and then the operation.

My wife has BUPA insurance with her employer, we've called them and the services they provide do sound good, however the NHS staff we've seen so far about this have all seemed excellent and appear to be moving things without delay (a far cry from the horrors of my 82 year old father's issues and NHS experience last year). I see one of the same NHS surgeons on the BUPA website as we saw at the NHS hospital yesterday.

I see that BUPA do pay you £100 per chemo session and and per operation if you choose not to use them (which sounds a bit low to me considering the money you're probably saving them).

There is a BUPA hospital that is about a half mile closer than the NHS hospital, has a shorter walk from the carpark, nicer decor, and free tea and coffee - but that's about it (as far as I can tell).

I see BUPA also offer at-home chemo, although it sounded like there were conditions to this (like not being able to get to the hospital).

My OH has been getting cancer treatments for the past 6 years under the NHS. The service has been "patchy" to say the least.

Quite a few times, he's turned up for the pre-arranged appointments for chemotherapy or other infusions only to be told "they" (presumably consultants??) hadn't signed the authority, so they couldn't do the treatment and then it's been another 2/3 weeks before the next available appointment slot!!

Same with his monthly drug package. Quite an ordeal to get them to organise themselves (several different people have to do different things apparently), which hardly ever goes smoothly, meaning he's often wasted time going to the oncology dept or hospital pharmacy to pick up his drugs, only to be told they're not authorised.

It's also pretty much impossible to get advice/report problems etc between formal appointments. He's been given a 24/7 "helpline" but it always goes to answerphone and he generally doesn't get a call back for 2 or 3 days!! So his choice when problems arise is to try and get an urgent GP appointment (who can't really do much anyway) or rock up to A&E where they "ping" an oncologist!

The administration and organisation is shambolic.

I think if he'd have been able to go private, he'd have done so! As he's found the whole thing very stressful, as if having cancer isn't bad enough!

It's not just the treatment, it's the environment and admin that makes the difference. I am still waiting for my first op, over 6 months since referral. The whole situation has been appalling, and if I knew at the start just how disorganised and maddening the whole thing would be, I definitely would have gone private. Everything from the car park to the secretary has been rubbish.

My dad’s treatment was shocking for cancer. Please use private if you have it.

I would go private just for the administrative side of things. The care will be the same, same drugs, same consultant (as you’ve spotted). But the administrative side of things, when they go wrong can have a huge negative impact or just be frustrating.

Thanks, pretty unanimous responses there. The NHS surgeon we who gave us the diagnoses yesterday very much kept a poker face when I asked if it would be worth going with BUPA, all I could get out of her was that we might get the MRI sooner, but not much else. From the initial scan and biopsy appointment and this first diagnosis appointment they've seemed pretty organised, but if it's going to be nightmare chasing admin then we'll go with BUPA - they have a 'co-ordinater' who hopefully does all this chasing (it was an absolute nightmare with my dad, things falling between the cracks between departments, so I know what it's like).

Not only do you get the MRI sooner but it’s read almost instantly, instead of waiting for weeks for it to be read, then the MDT, then the appointment. Then the treatment. Everything just…. Happens.

Everything will move faster, scans, results, phone calls treatments. It might be the same treatment but it will be done without the administrative nightmare that is the nhs. It just makes a horrible experience more pleasant