Our cancer service has three pillars:
- supporting healthy living and early diagnosis
- providing clinically-led cover
- offering individual support for members suffering from cancer.
Features of this service include dedicated cancer nurses to support members and their families. Our recent work has focused on improving early diagnosis to eliminate uncertainty for members and accelerate access to treatment where appropriate.
Some of our new cancer services
Breast cancer diagnosis service
- direct access service
- members worried about symptoms call us
- appointment made at nearby clinic within five working days
- ‘one stop’ assessment includes breast examination, imaging (mammography and/or ultrasound), fine needle aspiration or needle core biopsy as appropriate
- indicative outcome given on the same day
- biopsy results within five working days
- managed and audited by cancer screening provider Check4Cancer.
Skin cancer diagnosis service
- direct access service
- members worried about symptoms call us
- appointment made at nearby clinic within five working days
- dermatology nurse specialist takes and uploads digital dermoscopic imagery
- remote review by consultant
- member receives outcome within five working days (green: all-clear; amber: further monitoring and red: treatment needed)
- ‘red’ patients referred to appropriate consultant plastic surgeon for treatment
- managed and audited by cancer screening provider Check4Cancer.
Prostate cancer diagnosis service
- men with raised PSA call us
- members triaged by Check4Cancer
- where appropriate, they attend an mpMRI scan within a specially-created network of consultant urologists, radiologists and facilities; many men have a consultation with a specialist on same day as their mpMRI
- men with significant cancers continue treatment with the diagnosing specialist
- managed and audited by cancer screening provider Check4Cancer.