Post 7:NHS vs Private

Since mid-2023, I’ve dipped into both the NHS and into Private Healthcare, and wanted to explain why/how this has worked so far.

I have private healthcare as a perk via my work; I’ve had it for years and not used it for anything.

My recent fun started within private healthcare, but NOT because of cancer.

• NHS: Mid 2023, my local GP originally told me that I had a ‘lipoma’, or 'fat-lump', which the NHS wouldn’t remove due to it being non-essential or ‘cosmetic’ surgery. So, I called upon my private healthcare for me to essentially ‘pay’ to have it removed.
• PRIVATE: Following a visit to meet a plastic surgeon and an ultrasound scan to see what’s going on, my dermatologist doctor who was handling my ‘initially-cosmetic’ operation, had to break the bad news with me, that I had in fact got cancer of a rare kind.
• PRIVATE: Whilst on this private path, my healthcare provider was able to approve and schedule an MRI scan and a CT scan to gauge the size/spread.
• NHS: From here, I was transferred to the care of Addenbrooke’s hospital, albeit briefly; an oncologist called me about my results. He explained that the rareness of my lump meant I was outside of their abilities and needed to visit the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham.
• NHS: My consultant orthopaedic surgeon then booked me in for a biopsy and drew up a plan for my upcoming work. Once the biopsy was done, I was referred back to Addenbrookes for 5 weeks of radiotherapy.
• NHS: The oncology consultant called me to explain that the NHS had a 4-WEEK WAITING LIST for RT, but if I had private available to me, I could be seen THE SAME WEEK.
• PRIVATE: I began my visits to the Genesis Care centre, in Newmarket, for RT (as per my previous posts).
• NHS: Once RT was complete, the consultant surgeon at Birmingham has scheduled my operation for Mar'24.

The #NHS is amazing and we all need to protect it. But I do think that there is a need for private healthcare, as we’ve managed to get an early grip on my high-growth lump and not load-up the NHS.

Ensuring that the lump was controlled prior to surgery will hopefully mean that op will be better/safer/easier/faster/etc.