NHS vs Private ?

Hi,

As Andy says above it's quite normal to be told by a nurse.   The specialist nurses can be a very good link to find out more.   Did she/he give you a phone number to ring.  Sometimes it's a Macmillan Nurse who will act as your guide and tell you what is being offered, what the MDT said and what it means.

May 6th sounds a fairly long time although if his diagnosis is a low grade they will likely say it's a low risk case and prostate cancer is slow growing.

Normally after a nurse gives the verdict you get an interview with a Urologist, although they might or might not be a prostate surgeon as well.  Normally they don't try to influence your decision and tell you what the suitable treatments are.  That might include just watching it, active surveillance.  There is brachytherapy and radiotherapy with hormones as well.

From what I've read some areas are more touchy than others about people using private treatment although when I did it for another type of cancer the consultant gave me aftercare on the NHS.   Aftercare can be quite minimal unless more treatment is needed.

I hope that is of some interest,
Regards
Peter

I would  agree meet with surgeon  & Oncologist before deciding. When I met the surgeon he said the waiting time for op was 6 to 8 weeks. I asked if there was any befit in going private  (he also works in private sector) he said other than a private room & better menu there was no benefit and better after care in NHS. I've decided to go for Radiotherapy & although this won't be till September already started on HT.  Good look with treatment from experience I'd say most difficult part is deciding on the treatment.

Hello, 

We initially got a private consultation for a second opinion, when surgery became an option we decided to go with that surgeon and got an NHS referral. Unfortunately it took forever to get referred and then we were on a waiting list which got to much to bear! So we switched to private again and for us it was the best decision we made. I understand that you still get all the amazing treatment on the NHS and my OH certainly wasn’t bothered about a luxurious private room. What we found was the pre and post care was second to none. The amount of phone calls I/we received from our surgeon to keep me updated when he was in or to see how he was doing before and after he was home was unbelievable and the confidence and assurance that we felt just made everything go really smoothly. 
We’ve had a couple of follow up consultations but now we will just have PSA tests done at the gp surgery and send the results to our consultant. If/when further treatment is needed we will be able to get that through NHS. I know it’s not the same for everyone but just wanted to share our own experience. Best of luck in whatever you decide 

Thank you  

Yes before the consultancy I was worried I would be told there was a waiting list so can fully understand your decision to go private. It was a relief to get a date but the days are now going so slowly. However the advice and the positive stories I have read are helping me deal with the challenging weeks ahead.  

Good luck and all the best wishes to you and your husband  

Cheers,

Chris

It does seem true the care or continuity of care is better when you stick to one path, whether that is fully NHS or fully private. Going private for the operation has caused me some minor issues trying to slot back in to the nhs. The original hospital discharged me because I didn't have the surgery with one of their surgeons and the hospital where the surgeon that did my op has a long waiting list. My operation was last Oct and my first telephone consult will be in late August this year to be accepted as a patient. I do not have access to a specialist nurse to contact during times when I had on-going symptoms and had to rely on my GP for help. Although I appreciate their assistance, I feel they are out of their depth. They even had to ask me what my PSA should be post prostatectomy and at what level I should be concerned.

Off course if you have enough money to continue privately or have medical insurance then this wouldn't be an issue. I guess if I'd stuck with the same hospital that received the 2 weeks cancer referral to carry out the op privately then things would be much easier as I am already in their system.

Miss Poppy, reading this threat it is a post code lottery

my OH saw the surgeon in March, the oncologist beginning of April, had a referral for Brachytherapy from that oncologist and spoke to the Brachy oncologist at the other hospital just after Easter (that gentleman rung OH) . OH then decided to go for RP at the end of April and had his surgery 19th May.  All on the NHS

Regarding seeing the Nurse instead of the urologist - we saw the urologist for a short meeting and then got handed leaflets and told to decide which treatment.  

I have just had RP yesterday and now recovering in hospital picked up during a health check (private) through PSA test in Dec 2021. First consultant checked and said I did have a lump and had MRI which confirmed this.  He had to refer me to a colleague as he did not do Biopsy’s, this was conducted privately at the local NHS hospital.  Two weeks later confirmed cancer but then sent me for a bone scan (NHS) and CT scan (private) then took 3.5 weeks to be told it had not spread as he was on holiday for 2 weeks.  When I saw him he told me he did not do the RP and he would have to refer me.  3 weeks later saw third consultant who told me he would try and fit me in the following Friday (privately at NHS hospital) but he was then going on holiday for 2 weeks. What a saga but in fairness to the last consultant he came in on his first day of his holiday and carried out the op.  Not convinced either way quicker as just depends on luck. I will see the consultant who carried out the op when he is back from his holiday

It is a postcode lottery indeed BUT I live in a area with a large teaching hospital on my doorstep. Going private for prostate cancer is very expensive and there is a lack.of aftercare that may or may not be taken up by the NHS .I could not have had better or more timely treatment from the NHS than if I had been a private patient I have wonderful designated oncology nurses who all go the extra mile to ensure I am looked after and any problems are sorted immediately .I've just had COVID and my nurse arranged delivary of the  anti viral Paxlovid the very next day after we reported my positive test to her .I thus recovered very quickly and am fine .My consultant prescribed the VERY expensive (£36000 a year ) anti Androgen Enzalutimide as first line treatment after removal of my prostate via the da Vinci system failed to solve the problem some lymph nodes  were affected and  my PSA remained high .After four weeks on ADT and Enzalutimide my PSA was undetectable and that is where it has remained  for two years .I also had RT all provided by the NHS and three monthly chats with one of the nurses or my consultant to keep an eye on me .My wife has just had a cateract operation done privately it cost £4000 she wanted the best lense because the NHS only provide distance lenses and the best surgeon he is a teaching Professor  and the result has been wonderful for her. But for something like prostate cancer where something like between 30 and  50 percent of men will need further salvage treatment later then the NHS is better for continuity and ongoing care .Choosing your NHS hospital carefully is recommended as not everyone lives in an area where there are centres of excellence .I was seen very quickly when my PSA started to rise and had the operation 5 weeks after agreeing it should be removed .As people have already said the only real difference between private and NHS if you chose your NHS hospital carefully is a room to yourself and a better menu .The outcomes for prostate cancer are very variable and this is the same case whether you are a private or NHS patient .