AF and EP advise

[Andyt36]

Hi all this might sound a bit silly but wanted to ask about protocol

I have had AF for a for a couple of years now.

Until March/April this year I was on pill in the pocket of flecaninde and bisoprosol.

In march I was on a diet actually fasting for Greek Easter and I was away in Greece where I spend part of the year. When I say fasting generally it was a gluten free vegan diet.

My AF started 1 episode per week approximately and after the fourths week eater Sunday followed by another episode on the Wednesday.

Saw a cardiologist in Greece who suggested 100 flecaninde twice per day and 1.25 mg of bisoprosol once per day.

I wanted to get my EPs opinion in the UK, so I called and emailed his secretary a few times but no response. I do have a follow appointment with him in January 2018 which was set (in Jan 2017) before these events.

My GP said I would be lucky to get a response if I emailed directly.

Is there a protocol to follow what is the best way for me to get in touch, as good as my EP is I think some of them have a god complex and in the end we get lost in the system.(he was much more responsive when I was seeing him privately but that was 120 a pop and I would have thought a simple response via email word have been fine). I guess I could see him privately again but was wondering what the NHS protocol was.

Any advice appreciated

A

[Paper65]

Have you tried ringing his secretary? If you ring the hospital and asked to put through they always do; and I am talking about the nhs.

[Andyt36 in reply to Paper65]

I have tried and left her a message. I am trying to understand if going back directly to the consultant is outside of protocol. Personally I don't think it is,just trying to understand. I am hoping he wasn't upset that I saw another consultant but I did explain in the email that I was abroad.

[Peddling]

I have a similar situation. I called the cardiologists secretary who said that the GP must write with new symptoms/concerns and cardio would decide whether I needed to be seen. Now considering my next move!

[pottypete1]

These consultants are all different.

I ince had a 'god like' professor who was clearly very eminently qualified but it was virtually impossible to communicate with him.

I now have a Consultant who not only takes my phone calls when he can but even phones me to see how I an feeling. All on the NHS!

Try calling your EP's secretary again.

By the way I was on the same dose if Flecainide and Bisoprolol as you for many years.

Pete

[Andyt36 in reply to pottypete1]

Thanks Pete what happened after the many years?

Thanks

[pottypete1 in reply to Andyt36]

I am one of the minority for whom ablation has not been successful. I have had a number if ablations. The last one nearly 6 months ago led to my heart converting to SVT I have had this fast rhythm since.

At the time it was established that I had bad conductivity and regularly had Bradycardia so my EP stopped the Bisoprolol but I have had to continue the Flecainide.

On Thursday I am due to have an ablation to address the Atrial Tachycardia and I am hopeful that this will be successful.

Pete

[momist]

It is entirely possible that all emails from outside the UK go automatically into a spam folder. Phoning his secretary over and over to catch them at work is most likely to get through.

[Andyt36 in reply to momist]

Thank u

[mrslightfoot]

I have always gone through secretary and never had any problems. x