Hi there, I hope it's okay to discuss surveillance scans. I'm hoping to get some advice if anyone has time. I had sarcoma cancer last year but thankfully it was treated. I need to get CT scans twice a year in case it comes back. Whilst discussing this with my consultant he tried to veer me towards having private scans (even though my health insurance doesn't cover the cost of these particular scans) where it's £500 per scan. He cited his reasons for this saying it's faster and easier for him to read the scans from the private machines. I went along with him but after the consultation I changed my mind as the cost of private scans was just too high for me and I emailed the receptionist asking her if I could please switch to public for my next upcoming scan and she switched me over to public but for the next scan she switched me to private. Another receptionist picked up on this and rang me asking if I was okay with being switched to private scan and said she was just trying to help me as it was a really expensive scan. She advised me to get in touch with the consultant's receptionist and ask her to please switch me back to public. The consultant's receptionist didn't take it too well and said I have private health insurance and should therefore get private scans and if she puts me in for a public scan then I would be taking a public patients appointment (this isn't true). There was a lot of petty back and forth, her telling me to ring the radiology department myself to book the appointment, etc but I remained very polite and nice. Anyway, I was booked in for the public scan but my latest scan was yesterday. I was checking in for it and the receptionist told me it was £500. I was shocked, I had never been told that she switched me back to private without telling me. I was really disappointed and upset. £500 is a lot of money to me, I only have private health insurance as my mom pays for it and I would never ask her to pay another thousand pounds to cover the scans which I could get for free.
The receptionist knew I wanted public, the consultant even told me that he has no problem with me having public scans. I just can't believe she would do this without first asking me. Is it normal for receptionists to do this without your consent?
Thank you, Angela.
