Calling all Hullensians

I have had but one recommendation for an EP in Hull.

I would be grateful for info from any other fellow East Riding folk, or at a push even you North Lincs chaps and chappesses. 😉

[meadfoot]

Quite a number of people from your neck of the woods choose to go to either Sheffield or Leeds to find a good EP. Your GP can refer you if you choose to go to one of them. Worth thinking about.

Personally I chose to go to London to get to see my excellent EP, a 280 mile round trip but worth it I feel.

[genorm]

Hey badger25,

I believe there are NO EPs south of the estuary (in the whole of Lincs!). Not much help, I know too well

[Hidden]

Hey Genorm

So where did you go for your ablation? Lincs is huge so there are probably at least seven local centres in adjacent counties depending where you live.

With no metropolitan areas it must be a problem accessing more than a few specialist services.

Fortunately we can all get referred out of area and with few folk recommending Hull I may ask to go back to my old EP in London.

[meadfoot]

Yes NHS referral via my GP. I researched EPs, decided who I want to see and made an app with my GP who referred me immediately.

[Hidden in reply to meadfoot]

Sorry to bother you again. How long did you wait for your appt. and ablation?

Were you given an option for a GA and if you had a GA did that mean a longer wait.?

Finally where did you go and who did you see?

Questions, questions, sorry. Many thanks.

[meadfoot in reply to Hidden]

I had an NHS app in about four weeks certainly no longer. Guys and St Thomas. I haven't needed an ablation as yet. I had an EP study about two months after first consultation.

Excellent treatment.

[Hidden in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks. I have heard a lot of good things about the service at St Thomas's.

[Bunny92]

I had great service at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, Had an appointment with Mr Hobson at the Arrhythmia Clinic, who offered me an ablation, all went very well, that was back in Sept 2016, I cant fault the care I received.

[Hidden]

Hello Bunny and thank you for the info. You are the second person to recommend this EP. Otherwise I have not had feedback on the Hull service. There must be other ablated afibbers in Hull and district but perhaps just not on this site.

[Adiepie]

My wife has just been referred to Dr Ghosh @ Castle Hill, I had Dr Pepper @ Leeds General (who did my ablation), as well as my daughters's replacement pacemaker and Leeds (no, we don't get family discount - I tried!!)

All on the NHS

[Hidden in reply to Adiepie]

Thanks A. Did your wife opt for Hull because you had reservations about Leeds?

[Adiepie in reply to Hidden]

Not at all - Leeds cardiology is outstanding!! I had my major "incident" there whilst my daughter was being operated on - Dr Pepper then came onto the ward to see me, and had a double take when he saw my daughter in a wheelchair talking to me 4 hours after he had operated on her. My wife was referred from Scarborough, as all their ablations are performed at Castle Hill

[mike1961 in reply to Adiepie]

Adiepie,

I take it you were very happy with Dr Pepper?? Did you choose him and, if so, why? (He comes highly recommended to me.)

[Adiepie in reply to mike1961]

As I may have said (memory going...) he was recommended by my daughter's outstanding cardiologist to perform her pacemaker wire replacement (far more tricky than just pacemaker replacement), and I had the good luck for him to be the on call cardiologist when I was blue lighted in. He's been treating me since then, and performed my ablation in early September. As an individual, I highly rate him, plus he seems to have sorted out my PAF!

[bricknell]

I asked my GP to refer me to an EP - he told me he could only refer me to a Cardiologist. I saw Dr John at Spire, but as an NHS patient. He prescribed medication and mentioned ablation if it didn't work. Considering going private to see an EP.

[Hidden in reply to bricknell]

I'm surprised you can't be referred direct to an EP. Sounds like this builds in significant delay. I wonder what the EPs think given they advocate early referral.

For someone else in that position a call direct to the EP's PA might clarify matters.

I'm with you on at least a private consult now.

[irene75359]

I am in London and didn't go through my GP - I rang the EP's secretary and asked for an appointment and a few days later there I was. Best thing I ever did (at the beginning of my AFib journey).

[Hidden in reply to irene75359]

Thanks Irene

Surely that did not happen on the NHS ?

[irene75359]

No! When I had my first diagnosed episode in 2015 I saw the arrhythmia nurse within three weeks who put me forward for the Avatar trial, where I could have been in an ablation stream. Within a couple of weeks I was being interviewed and examined and everything was happening so fast. (See my first ever post) I needed to talk to another expert so searched on here for a highly regarded name, made the appointment and went to see him. Yes I paid, but he was so informative and helpful and so I didn't go down the ablation route (then). He said to go back and see him when my episodes were more frequent but thankfully that hasn't happened.

[Hidden in reply to irene75359]

Thank you Irene. I saw Prof Shilling on a video, top notch chap I would guess.

[LouBrig]

I had an Ablation by Neil Hobson at Castle Hill Hospital in September 2017. As an EP he came highly recommended and he was fantastic!

[Hidden in reply to LouBrig]

Thanks Lou.

Just today my GP referred me to Dr Hobson, so your recommendation is very reassuring.

[LouBrig in reply to Hidden]

Him and his team were fantastic. Unfortunately the hospital referred me in June and I still await my NHS initial appointment. I had to pay private for a consultation which goes against the grain and eventually decided to pay for surgery but needs must. I had the Ablation mid-September . So be prepared for a long shocking wait.

[Hidden in reply to LouBrig]

Wow that is not good. Can I ask where you had your ablation. Were you given a price for the procedure?

[LouBrig in reply to Hidden]

I went via Spire but actually had it at Castle Hill £7k 😖

[LouBrig in reply to LouBrig]

Neil Hobson would have been the NHS surgeon but advised me there was a 6-month waiting list. Recognising I'm still waiting for the initial appointment nearly 5-months later suggests a very long wait to surgery. My calculation 12-18 months.

[Hidden in reply to LouBrig]

Oh crikey, I am going to have to get the wife out of retirement to afford that.

Did Dr Hobson say that 6 months on the NHS was his wait time or was that for any of the EPs at Castle Hill?

Maybe East Riding health commissioners need to fund some procedures at another trust with shorter wait times.

Sorry about all these questions, I may need to think about an out of area NHS referral.

[LouBrig]

I guess 6-months was his list on NHS. It was a massive financial consequence but I couldn't wait as was deteriorating. I understood if I went in to permanent AF then an Ablation would have little success. Perhaps pay for a consultation (£150) and see what he says. Least that's saves 6-months wait! NHS locally perform Ablations whilst sedated and privately under general anethestic.

[Hidden in reply to LouBrig]

Thanks Lou