With private health insurance, how long did you wait for a breast clinic appointment, after gp referral?

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Just that really.
If you reply, who do you have insurance with.

Thanks

Bump

2 days axa ppp

Thanks

Anyone else?

GP appt Friday morning, consultant appt Monday evening

Same day. Vitality bit doesn’t make any difference. I picked the consultant and just told the insurance company who I was seeing. Mammogram and ultrasound and one biopsy on the same day. Results next day. Open biopsy 2 days later, results within 24 hours. If surgery needed (thank goodness it wasn’t) would have been 2 days after that.

So hardly any wait between you initially going to your gp then actually seeing a consultant and getting mammogram and possible biopsy? And the results of that almost next day. Very impressive.

Bupa. Saw surgeon same day. Results 5 days later. Started chemo 3 days after that.

The speed people are dealt with is amazing, certainly takes the waiting and worry away a bit.
I'm wondering how the nhs compares?

Same day
Went to Nuffield- think insurance was AXA
I had already made the appointment the day before- GP just sent a referral when asked in the morning

So did you not even have to see your gp?

Im so confused how it all works, i have Benenden but i dont think it covers something like this

I've had one private and one NHS experience. The private one was when I found a lump (which turned out to just be a cyst) and that was fast (GP Friday, Consultant Monday). The cyst was drained there and then so no further follow up. More recently I was called back to an NHS assessment clinic after something was picked up on a routine mammogram. There were 10 days between receiving the letter and going to the clinic where they did a repeat mammogram, ultrasound and needle biopsy, and then a 2 week wait for the biopsy results.

I've been referred twice through the NHS. The first my appointment was on the 14th day but this was early on in the pandemic June 2020. Then more recently October last year I had a letter the very next day after seeing my doctor with an appointment for the following week but the day after that I had a phonecall to ask if I wanted to come in earlier as they had a cancellation. Thankfully both times it was a cyst.

Wow !!!
My NHS experience was: 2ww to speak to GP. 2ww for F2F appt. Lump found. GP went on hols & 'forgot to do referral'. So saw Consultant week 9. Mammogram wk 10. ECG week 11. Biopsies week 12. Results week 14. Fortunately negative.
Genetic screening panel. Referral 6 Oct. Results 'in post' last week.

I found a lump in December 2017. Went to the GP who said he was going to refer me. I said “ I’ve got private medical care (BUPA). He was like NHS is better for this. 7 weeks later my referral appointment day finally arrived. Off I went to the hospital and an ultrasound and mammogram later, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Saw the GP the next day who when I asked why the referral had taken so long, replied that It had been an urgent referral. A couple of months later, after scans etc, we found it that it had already spread to the bones. 5 years on, I’m still managing to work full time and do most of what I’m doing before but recently found out that it is now also in the liver so I am in the process of starting new treatment. I must say that BUPA have been amazing

Going private certainly seems to cut waiting times.
I wonder if this is why a lot of people go private?

Insurance company doesn't make a difference as they normally approve treatment immediately on the phone. Rather it is down to which consultant you want to see (most work with all the major insurers) and their availability. You can often get in within a day or two. I've been with 3 or 4 insurers through work over the years and haven't seen much difference.

It isn't just the reduced wait times, it's being seen quickly and efficiently when you get there and having the opportunity for a proper conversation directly with the consultant who has the time to engage with you fully and answer all your questions rather than a harassed time poor junior doctor who you're not necessarily convinced has the time or expertise to get it right.

That's good to know

There can be a wait as my policies have always needed a GP referral. They don't ask to see the letter but ask you to confirm you have one. So you might have to wait a couple of weeks to see your NHS GP although I guess some might refer from a phone call.

That said, AXA now have a private GP service (video calls) and they'll refer you. You can usually get appointments with their GPs the same day, or the next day, if you keep checking.

With Bupa I use their GP service which normally has virtual appointments within the hour and they do referrals.

Does this cost extra

Not for AXA. The quality of the GPS varies but it's also good if you're after some medication and don't want to wait to be seen by your NHS GP.

Private: see GP, phone private hospital, chose consultant and seen withing a couple of days. Consultant takes the history, examines, usually finds a few cysts and drains them, go for mammogram. Results within the week. I had one call back but it was for a ginormous cyst that had to be drained under ultrasound. It was something like 4cm x 7cm.

NHS see GP, 2 week referral, chase after 10 days and hospital had muddled the referral. Got an appointment within three weeks. 8.30am appointment but not seen until 10. Evidently the Dr was late and the nurses aren't ready for the clinic before 9. Dr was terse and drained two cysts which hurt like he'll be abuse they don't use the squirty, freezy stuff on the NHS. Sent to another room for a mammogram and told to strip to the waist and put on a gown, given a plastic basket for one's clothes. About 20 women were herded in there. At about 12.45 the staff were loudly sorting out their lunch breaks. For patients during this wait there was not so much as a coffee machine. Only when one of the ladies kicked off were we ungracious told we could dress to go to the caff and be back within half an hour.

Back we went and there was a lot of shouting about who needed to change first vis who was next for ultrasounds biopsies, etc. During the next wait another lady kicked off because she'd left the clinic at 3pm the previous week to collect her children and it looked like she'd have to do the same. The staff didn't seem to give two hoots about communication or gentleness of attitude.

I eventually had an ultrasound at about 3.45 having been the first person to arrive that morning. All looked fine and I was told to get dressed and go back to the main waiting room to see the Dr again. When I got there the lady who had kicked off at lunchtime was in tears. She had had a biopsy and it was not fine and had just been told to go and sit and wait for consultant for a plan. It was disgraceful.

The indignity and lack of communication was mind blowing. I eventually left at 4.30 - 8 hours. The same process privately takes about 35 minutes and one isn't dehumanised by being ordered to strip to the waist and sit bra-less in a hospital gown, unable to nip for a coffee or to make a quick call. Utterly shambolic and had I had cancer would have left me with no confidence in the treatment.

I was equally messed about by the NHS over basal skin cell thingy that needed a biopsy.
Private is BUPA.

Friend, appointment next day. Treatment wait three weeks, same as nhs.

As someone waiting for my Breast Clinic appointment on NHS for a lump, I feel extra scared. Appointment supposed to be next Wednesday and waiting is awful.

Not breast clinic but when I chose an ERPC after MMC that was confirmed at EPU it was a three week wait in the nhs. I went home called my insurer who arranged for a go anywhere consultation within an hour and I had the surgery the next morning..