EP Services - NHS choose and book

[Loquitir]

chooseandbook.nhs.uk/patien...

Has anyone used NHS choose and book to get to see an EP cardiologist?

How did you get on?

[Loo53]

Only when I've actually had a referral but only for an appointment time not to see a particular person..

[Mrspat]

Not specifically about Choose and Book or EPs but an example of how you have to play the system: 2 years ago I knew that the heart condition that I was born with would soon need to be fixed, even before the doctors insisted. My AF had returned after 7 years, amongst other things.

Unhappy with the local cardiology department, I asked for and got a referral via my GP to a specialist clinic in London, at the same hospital where my surgery was eventually carried out. The GP had no idea that the specialist clinic even existed.

The local cardiology department has an arrangement for most patients requiring cardiac surgery with a different London hospital. Not only does that second London hospital lack the specialist facilities I need, it is very difficult to get to from where I live. Whoever made the arrangement had no idea of geography.

[Loquitir]

I think more AFA members need to help say how they got to the right service.

It's clear that there is a lack of a NHS national service pathway for AF services despite the high number of people affected.

There is of course the new NHS personal health budgets: in theory they give you the money to decide where to get your treatment and management of your condition.

The big problem of course is the lack of nationally availability of EP Services.

[fallingtopieces]

My GP in 2007( a really good one which is not the case for me now), used 'Choose and Book' online, whilst I was actually in his surgery, asking me to choose my own password so that I could subsequently gain access for appointments myself.

I asked him at the time to refer me to a cardiologist at Harefield Hospital which I knew was a specialist heart hospital around 30 miles away from me. I had no knowledge of EPs then. I had all the usual tests over the years, since 2003, but all proved negative. I have managed to keep an annual appointment at Harefield, then if I feel I need to go before that, I change the appointment myself.

Then moving on to 2012, after my scariest heart 'episode', which made me newly diagnosed with PAF , I referred myself privately, to an EP at Harefield Hospital to avoid the 2-3 month wait on the NHS as I thought I was in danger of imminent death! (cup always half empty!) .

I looked up EPs online and found one who worked there covering NHS and private (they all do)and rang the private patients department directly myself. I got an appointment that same week which helped my peace of mind enormously (£250). I now see the same EP on the NHS.

You can choose which hospital you want to go to. Don't let your GP tell you otherwise. Your GP can book it for you online. Many won't though, they usually leave it to the office staff to write a letter instead(slows things up for you). He will also need to write a covering letter of referral, explaining things on your behalf.

My EP recently explained to me that hospital consultants are under pressure not to do follow ups themselves but to refer you back to your GP asap, whether your GP knows anything about your condition or not. He said that if he does too many follow ups and subsequent appointments himself, he receives a stroppy reminder that he is seeing too many patients. Apparently GPs want this too. My consultant thinks it's wrong and says patients need to see heart specialists when it comes to heart conditions. I agree with him, especially as GPs will vary enormously in their abilities.

[Loquitir in reply to fallingtopieces]

Well this precisely demonstrates the case for patients telling GPs that what they need is a referral to an EP preferably with choice.

It's amazing how many people don't even get told about EP services never mind a referral.

It's shocking.

[CDreamer]

It's not just cardiology, try neurology!

[Loquitir]

Yes it covers all areas of specialism. Even worse when the EP cardiologist needs to send you to see other specialists .

Under the new CCG privatisation model it all has to go back the GP taking more time and no doubt parsed to the cheapest they want.

Has anyone applied for a personal health budget for AF to source their own EP care ? I wrote to the DOH got no response.

[rosyG]

I asked to be referred to the royal Brompton through choose and book- as already said here, your GP does it online while you are in the surgery.

I think the personal health budget is for very disabled people who then employ their own careers and helpers with the money= I may be wrong but I don't think it applies with EPs

[Loquitir in reply to rosyG]

What you describe is known as Direct Payments for social care.

NHS Personal health budgets are designed to give persons with long term disabilities a medical budget to purchase medical service from whom the wish. It's a new scheme.

[Hidden]

Anyone know whether any of this is relevant to Wales? We seem to have wandered off on a completely different course and I have no idea what the situation is any more... Even if we have a Personal Health budget system!

Lis

[angiek]

I tired for Choose and Book last week in my GP surgery, he said he can't offer that service (almost as if he hadn't heard of it) but when I got home and looked on the practice website it is there as clear as day -'click here for Choose and Book' information! Haven't yet got round to ringing the practice to ask why the GP couldnt access it! To be honest all my dealings with GP since diagnosis in March have been a battle, think I just won't bother any more.

[angiek in reply to angiek]

# tried...tho I am also tired!!

[rosyG]

Don't give up- lots of GPs do not know how to do choose and book but if you print out the instructions and take them in with you- they are obliged to do it as it's patients' rights!1

[Loquitir]

Yes exactly !

[angiek]

OK, here goes, just about to ring surgery!