One of the things I've noticed since I've been on this forum are various discussions about Breast Care Nurses - who has one, what do they do, whether they're helpful or not, how to access one... etc, ...
Having worked in a public hospital for a very long time, I would not be a patient in a public hospital. Being able to decide when and where I wanted to go into hospital with my own doctor was very important to me. We borrowed from our mortgage account for my reconstruction because I felt like a freak. I now see my oncologist as a private patient. There is a cost but I would have had to wait much longer.