Paying for Private Cancer Treatment

How is my cancer treatment paid for?

Privately funded cancer treatment has distinct advantages over the NHS. Regulatory frameworks can mean a time lag between when oncology drugs are approved for use in Europe to when it is approved for use in NHS hospitals. Unfortunately, time is something that cancer patients do not always have.

Sometimes the NHS can access drugs before NICE approval through pharmaceutical company access schemes, however these can be quite limited. By contrast, private oncologists have access to all approved drugs (subject to insurance company terms and conditions) and have greater freedom when it comes to prescribing. The NHS often has a ‘one size fits all approach’ to most cancers, where there are strict rules on which drugs a patient can have for their specific cancer, and in what order(and only if it is considered ‘cost-effective’ for the system). A private consultant oncologist only needs to consider the patient in front of them: what will benefit he or she personally, help them live longer with the best quality of life?

If a patient is considering private cancer treatment with Dr Andy Gaya, they have several options for how to fund treatment. Many patients will have private healthcare insurance which they can use to pay for treatment, but others may self-fund or pay ‘out of pocket’ for their treatment. Some patients’ finances might only allow for a consultation with Dr Andy Gaya, with a view to getting independent advice on their cancer treatment. Cancer treatments are often extremely expensive.

Here is more information on funding options.

Private Healthcare Insurance

Private healthcare insurance is a popular option for those seeking private cancer treatment. With private insurance, a person pays into a health insurance policy (monthly or annually) and the insurance company covers the cost of all or some treatment (provided it is included in the policy). Around 1 in 4 adults currently have a private healthcare policy for themselves and their family. Dr Andy Gaya accepts patients insured with BUPA, WPA, Aviva, Healix and Cigna. He does not work with Vitality or AXA.

Some employers also offer private health insurance as part of their employee benefits package. Many employees forget that they are insured with their company, so it is always worth checking with HR personnel to see if there is a private healthcare policy that could be utilised. It’s important to check with the insurance provider to understand what treatments are covered and any limitations that may apply.

Self-Funding (Out of Pocket)

The majority of people in the UK do not have private healthcare, given that everyone can access the NHS for free. However, when it comes to cancer treatment, many patients feel that their best chance of beating cancer is with the help of a private consultant oncologist like Dr Andy Gaya.

If a patient pays for their own medical bill, it is called paying ‘out of pocket’. Anyone can self-fund their private cancer care. This means the patient will cover the cost of consultations, drugs, treatments and any additional services.

Many patients worry that self-funding will be too expensive, but Dr Andy Gaya and his team will be completely transparent on the costs of consultations, treatments and drugs so there are no unexpected expenses. Dr Andy Gaya can advise on a treatment plan and his team work closely with self-funded patients to ensure they understand the schedule of payments. Please note that Cancer treatments are often extremely expensive, sometimes a patient may need to use their savings or call on family to help with payment.

Combination of NHS and Private Care

There is always the option to combine NHS and private care if a patient’s budget cannot stretch to fully self-funded cancer treatment. This could look like receiving some treatment through an NHS hospital, while paying for additional private services. For example, a patient may receive their diagnosis and surgery through the NHS, but opt for private chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

This approach allows a patient to benefit from the reduced costs, while also being able to tailor their cancer treatment to their specific needs.

Also some patients choose to “top up” their cancer care by having most of their treatment in the NHS and paying privately for any drug(s) not available in the NHS. This is called “top up care”.

Booking an initial consultation

The first step in deciding whether to go ahead with private cancer treatment is to make an appointment. An initial consultation with Dr Andy Gaya costs from £400. As part of the consultation Dr Gaya will:

Review medical records
Look at the person’s cancer diagnosis (Dr Gaya specialises in Gastrointestinal Cancers)
Review what information has already been collected on the staging and grading of a person’s cancer, as well as any genetic information on tumours
Understand what treatments have been conducted so far and outcomes
Look at the patient’s fitness and other medical conditions
Produce a detailed medical report with all the available options.

Dr Andy Gaya is one of the leading Clinical Oncologists in the world, with specialist experience in gastrointestinal cancers. He can provide insights, advice and a second opinion for cancer patients. In a first consultation he can discuss a patient’s treatment journey so far, new treatments and drugs he can offer and recommend next steps or approaches to cancer treatment personalised to the patient. He can even refer people back into the NHS to take part in clinical trials (where appropriate).

Cancer and Lifestyle Changes

Patient Information