"Unnecessary procedure"

Outline:  My husband who is 57, his Father & 2 brothers all diagnosed with prostate cancer within 6 months of one another.  My Father-in law & 2 brothers in law live in Hampshire and come under the Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

Initial PSA Testing at Local Surgery - very efficient and despite the level of 9.4ng/ml which would not necessarily have been referred on, but as there was such a significantly high family occurrence it was advised to have further tests. Cannot fault the speed at which an appointment came through for a DRE.  Specialist conducted the DRE then automatically referred 'Blind Biopsy' & MRI. Having researched this procedure, being subjected to a 'Blind Biopsy' would be as it states in the title - 'going in and pot luck if you strike!' - therefore this was cancelled but went ahead with the MRI which would be conclusive enough to give a fairly good insight as to the location and stage of cancer (if found). 

The MRI was carried but was told that the results would be available the following week, to which we attended.  Obviously all our family are in a fairly anxious state of mind with the waiting involved but made considerably worse to be told 'Matter of Factly' - that the MRI had not been reported? So not only wasting our time, but the Consultant's time when all it would of taken was a quick phone call/email to postpone accordingly.  We were telephoned a few days later to say cancer had been detected but not broken through the prostate but would need a 'Guided Biopsy' to Grade the cancer.

This was carried out again within a fairly short space of time.  Went back to Broomfield for Biopsy results which concluded a Gleason 7 and options of Radiotherapy & Prostatectomy were given, also given an appointment for a 'Bone Scan' - this wasn't questioned at the time as we believed this to be 'Standard Procedure' following on from cancer being detected - apparently not.

Next comes yet another timewasting & funding issue within the Trust - An appointment for 1.30pm to apparently get the 'bone scan results', again causing anxiety, tension within the family - the waiting room was full, and patients around us were being called in to the various consulting rooms. It appeared we had been forgotten - after asking a nurse at 3.23pm when are we likely to be seen as we have children coming out of school etc.. we were told that it should be in the next 5 or 10 minutes - eventually seen 2 hours 12 minutes after our appointment time, to be told once again 'your scan results have not been reported?' - at this point to have waited for so long, to be told that was not only a kick in the teeth, but a telling sign of how this system is failing people - people who like ourselves have paid into it for years and our only time of needing help, we get this level of treatment! 

It doesn't stop there either - we had various questions for the Consultant - who I add was extremely personable (thankfully after a 2 hour wait), variations of the grading system of the MRI & Biopsy - this was answered, but when we asked whether the Bone Scan was Procedure as our Family members in Hampshire had not followed this course, we were informed that it was done as part of a 'Clinical Trial?' - we had not nor would have agreed to be part of a Clinical Trial - especially as we were informed that 99.9% of patients undergoing this wouldn't concur it as beneficial in any way shape or form! As the MRI findings were conclusive enough! 

This procedure required a Radioactive injection which needs to 'process' for up to 4 hours, so this was virtually a whole day undergoing a procedure which wasn't necessary in my case.   Therefore, looking at the timescales, unnecessary procedures and funding for all of these, would it not be better to employ a better system that alleviates this?