What would you do: go private or NHS?

Good Morning MrsG14 

A warm welcome to the Macmillan Online Community, although I am so sorry to find you here. I am Brian, one of the Community Champions here and indeed I am just starting my 4th year on my own Prostate Cancer journey. (you can read my journey by clicking on my user name or avatar).

The Community is divided into various cancer specific chat rooms, or groups and I would advise you to join the Prostate group where you will be amongst Community members on the same or similar journey as your partner - here's the link -

Prostate cancer forum 

When you click on the link and the page opens up, click on "join" on the black banner at the bottom of the page. You can then either copy and paste or repost your original post in the "New Here - Say Hello" section. You will get a warm welcome from the members of "our" group - we are a great bunch.

If I can do anything else for you please do let me know, otherwise I look forward to "meeting" you again in "our own" part of the Community.

Best wishes - Brian

Hi, I also have private health cover and had expected to go that route.  That said, to be honest there wasn't really time to "move" to private.  If you see my other post you will see the whole diagnosis journey so far, including almost 2 weeks as an inpatient in the local hospital hasn't really left much time to get in touch with the private folks, organise a private consultation etc. etc.  I have to say that so far as I can tell the level of NHS care throughout has been very high, making me think I wouldn't have been better off with private.  Private remains an option for treatment but for now given my experience so far I plan to remain with the NHS.  Which is not at all what I had expected.

My experience of another cancer is that private care is very useful if referral and diagnosis is delayed but once you are in the system NHS is best. 
You can combine too

I know people who had chemo privately at home and the rest of their care NHS based

Thank you so much for this

Thanks for this Chris. Have you claimed for your stays in hospital from the private healthcare? 

Thanks so much Dani, that’s really helpful ️

Hi, it's all very new so I am about to.  With Aviva there is a cash allowance of £100 per night up to 30 nights, which I am about to claim against.  Will let you know how it goes.

Good luck Chris, and make sure you tell them ALL of the tests and stays you have had in hosp so far. 

Good Morning MrsG14 

I have noticed you haven't joined us yet on the Prostate Group - link here:

 Prostate cancer forum 

You will find plenty of other Community members there with extensive experience of Private/NHS treatment.  there's lots of great advice too to help Mr G on his journey. I look forward to "meeting" you there.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Beesuit,

Hope you don't mind asking a question please, I've just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and trying to find out exactly what you just mentioned. I do agree the NHS are amazing and the way they have treated me over the last few months is fantastic, however I was trying to find out about private surgery and NHS care following. When you get told you have cancer you google for days and days, and a treatment I have considered is not available in my local hospital area, however available in London, Yorkshire, Portsmouth and a few other NHS hospitals. When I asked the urologist regarding a private treatment, and he said I would fall out of the NHS system for this diagnosis, where I had hoped the after care and monitoring (PSA blood tests etc) would be done at my local hospital, without paying for the next ten years or so. I don't have private medical insurance, I have just retired and have a pension, which may cover the cost, I haven't approached privately yet though since seeing the urologist a few weeks ago,

Thanks for any help or advice,

High regards, Edz