Pay as You Go Private One Stop Breast screening?

[Totalinsanity]

Hi all, my super lumpy dense breasts have thrown another curve ball at me and I’m between jobs so have no private insurance to utilise this time…. My gp says the average wait locally for the breast clinic is currently about 4 weeks…and of course I’m at home with far too much time on my hands worrying😬🙈. How expensive can going pay as you go just for diagnosis get?… am guessing consult, mammogram, ultrasound and possible biopsy will add up…anyone done this that can advise or give recommendations? Or just tell me to take a massive chill pill and don’t spend money when I’m not earning😩.

You should be seen in the two week referral if he’s got any worries that it could be cancer. If he’s referred you, contact the breast unit in about ten days and say you understood there was two week turnaround for breast issues.l, if you haven’t heard anything. They should be able to advise you then.

Thanks for your response - sadly the ‘two week referral’ is now guideline in England (changed in 2023) - it’s now an urgent referral and they are unfortunately oversubscribed as with most of the nhs😞.

Before you consider paying I would find out what the wait is like for private. I recently had the same issue with a dodgy looking mole and the earliest appointment for the private dermatologist was the same as the NHS could provide anyway, so there was no point spending the money. I thought private would see me much quicker but it seems they are also oversubscribed!

I would just wait. I have similar lumpy breasts and always need investigations. Last time I went private through work, I still had to wait a few weeks and the overall cost was thousands. Mammogram, ultrasound, multiple biopsies, repeat mammogram, consultations. I got lots of biscuits and tea and the experience was nicer, but it was further away from home, am not convinced it was much quicker and I would not have been able to afford to pay it all. Good luck. Bloody boobs!

I went for private screening in a similar situation, I think it cost around 1k for ultrasound and mammogram. They were certain it was cancer and offered a biopsy at around another £1000. I was clear with them any treatment would have to be referred to the nhs and so they advised me just to wait and get the biopsy at my NHS appointment.

i then called the breast cancer clinic to report what they’d said and the couldn’t see me any faster, and in fact it was a hassle getting the private scans sent to the NHS, they informed me the needed them as they didn’t want to put me through more radiation.

so I found out I had cancer unofficially sooner than I would have, but it didn’t speed anything up and I had absolutely no support.
Of course if it been something benign I would have had a clear mind quicker, but if I had my time again I’d probably just wait for theNHS appointment.
I do think it’s disgraceful the waiting times.

I know this thread is about breast issues, but my GP recently suspected (correctly) that I had bladder cancer. I had a cystoscopy within a week, then surgery 8 days later (both NHS). I doubt private appointments would have been any quicker. Waiting for the results (just over 4 weeks) felt a tad longer than it should, but that’s the only part of the process, which would have cost thousands privately, where I wondered about a different route. But with cancer treatment, I would be concerned that swapping between private and NHS could cause issues, ie notes and results not being in the right place?

Thanks everyone. Yes, the costs could rise exponentially if they need to do multiple biopsies (I had a series of 4 the last time!) and then I couldn’t afford treatment etc so it would probably get very difficult to dance between the two. I will just need to try and keep myself calm. Will call them next week and let them know I’m available in the event of any cancellations.

Yes, absolutely wait. 4 weeks isn’t long given it’s a one stop clinic. Other cancers have much longer waits because we have to have biopsies separately and all scans separate.

Realistically, getting the news of a positive biopsy privately is useless if you will still be waiting for surgery and treatment on the NHS.

Hey all, just wanted to pop back on and say thank you for all the advice - ended up being seen way sooner than expected and was in & out in just over an hour. Another cyst - both my breasts are choc full of them (as clearly seen by ultrasound) but this one was larger/more prominently positioned than usual. Anyway, thank you - for the advice and calming words!

Very pleased to hear!