Mr Finlan accessed our prostate cancer diagnostic pathway through his Bupa insurance, and shares his experience of the pathway here:
“After experiencing periodic urinary tract infections, my doctor recommended a CT scan to see what was going on. The scan showed that I was suffering from a urinary retention issue, so my doctor provided a referral for follow-up investigation.
I choose to contact Bupa after experiencing a waiting list on the NHS. After discussion with Bupa, they recommended that I use their prostate pathway, and I was able to select Mr Taimur Shah as my consultant at Cromwell Hospital. My initial appointment was confirmed very quickly, and I visited the hospital within a week of making contact.
I attended the hospital initially for blood and urine tests, and these suggested an issue with my prostate in addition to urinary retention. I very quickly had an MRI scan and received the results on the same day in conversation with Mr Shah.
He recommended attending the hospital to have a catheter fitted to begin dealing with the bladder issue. He also highlighted that I had an enlarged prostate, with an indication of something that may be prostate cancer, but this needed to be followed up.
I then attended the hospital for two days, have been wearing a catheter for nearly three months, and have follow-up care starting soon, including further scans and a biopsy. While I’m still under treatment, for now I am well and living a fully normal life.
I have appreciated and enjoyed being under the care of Mr Shah. He is very straightforward and very supportive. My hospital stay was just before Christmas, and he popped in to see me which was unexpected and appreciated. He was available to contact directly over Christmas and has been quick and decisive about next steps.
I was very impressed that he chose to take my scans to a peer review as the results were a little unclear. I took great confidence from this flexibility.
Everyone at the hospital has been excellent, professional, and human. While I would like to recognise everyone, I want to thank Carmen at Cromwell Hospital for her tireless efforts.
I would recommend the prostate pathway. It has been reassuring to go through a structured process that is both quick and supportive. I have felt in control of my treatment and involved fully in discussion and decision making. In cases like mine there are many potential pathways, and this full involvement has been excellent.”