A new war on heart deaths

[seasider18]

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

I remember about thirty years ago my then GP stopped me in the street and said that he was having a Well Man Clinic and to make an appointment for it.

All it involved was a BP check and a listen to my heart and a couple of lifestyle questions. I asked him why he was doing it and he replied that he was getting £25 per patient.

This new initiative should help push up drug sales.

[jennydog]

Thank you so much for this. I heard about it on the newspaper review on Radio 4. I wonder if Wales will follow England's lead. It's good to know that there is awareness and I hope that it produces results.

[CDreamer]

and this initiative may also improve awareness, although I doubt most GPs will be cheering about the hoards who will now surge to their surgeries for screening........

[seasider18 in reply to CDreamer]

Especially at my practise where the senior partner and another doctor have left!

[doodle68]

I heard this item on the news this morning and gave a hollow laugh...

What is the point of monitoring people if there are not the resources to follow up results.

I approach a GP last Autumn with high blood pressure (I had been monitoring it myself and noted a steady rise) and symptoms of P-AF and it took 6 months to obtain an appointment to see a cardiologist's nurse to get a diagnosis and medication.

I am now aware that during that time as a 68 year old female I was at quite a high risk of having a stroke. If people are to be monitored swift action needs to be taken on the results not just in a few lucky places who have the resources but everywhere.

[Thomas45 in reply to doodle68]

Things are improving. When I was admitted to hospital overnight in 2005 the hospital docs said I had PAF. I had an ultrsound scan a month later, and 10 months after that saw a cardiologist for the first time, not an EP, but a very good cardiologist.

[momist]

Is this old news? Part way through the article they say "So far, it has been introduced in 84 CCGs, in two waves, since being published in September." I must assume that means September last year.

[shorttail]

I don't have any follow up with my GP for my AF, or high blood pressure, its all left to me and some times I feel I am too reluctant to go. So if there is to be an initiative , and they get more money, fine by me.

Better than luxury showers etc for the Government members lol.

[seasider18]

I asked my last GP about being referred to a BP clinic. He said if he did that there would be a queue all the way from the surgery to the hospital. When I joined my present GP practice and asked about BP they said if we treated every patient with high BP we would never see any other patients.

Previously there was an initiative for a "Poly Pill For All" comprising low dose of aspirin, statin and a BP med. That seemed to also sink without trace.