Advice please

[shirlygirly]

I am going for a 24 hour heart monitor next week. I have an appointment

now to see a cardiologist on 27th June. I could pay and go privately, but

could'nt pay for ECG's etc and am not sure how that works. Would he have the

monitor results for instance, I have seen him previously as NHS patient.

I am quite worried and almost 6 weeks is a long time to wait.

Thanks.

[Hidden]

This could really depend on local arrangements Shirley and might get a bit complicated due to how the NHS operates in your area. If you are saying your NHS appointment with the Cardiologist is on 27 June it's only a week away so I'm not sure how much time will elapse between the monitor and the appointment. If you have a private appointment you probably will be expected to pay for any additional tests and without the tests, the Cardiologist will not be able to help you very much apart from having a chat maybe about the weather!

If the 27th appointment is NHS then I would stick with that and make sure the team doing the 24 hour monitor know about the appointment. I would actually ring them in advance to clarify the situation. Mixing and matching private with NHS can work, but the last thing your probably want now is more stress!!

Ps...sorry Shirley, I got my dates muddled, 6 weeks can seem a long time but if you can, I would stick with the NHS and avoid expensive tests or you could add to your stress levels!

[Hidden]

I'm going to have a 24 hour heart monitor fitted tomorrow. I haven't had an appointment to see a specialist yet, I still have that pleasure to come.

[JaneFinn]

Hi Shirlygirly, it’s so hard waiting, isn’t it, and not knowing if you need to try to be seen sooner or not.

I think you said in an earlier post that your cardiologist had written to your GP and you have a current plan of action - and that also you had to have another trip to a&e more recently too? I think if I were you, I’d have my 24 hour monitor done, and make sure the technician knows about your appt in 6 weeks. If I could wait i would, but if I was really anxious about what’s going on with my heart, if I were you, I’d contact my cardiologist’s secretary (I can email or phone mine) to outline what has happened since he last saw you, and to ask if he would look at your monitor download and a&e report. And you could ask if he thinks it would be any medical advantage to be seen sooner than your appt in 6 weeks, and if so, could he either put you on a cancellation list or see you privately?

I’m not sure this plan would work but it might be worth a try, in the hopes you’ll get reassurance or, if not, be seen sooner...?

Good luck, and do let us know how you get on x

[Mike11]

I've always had all tests done on the NHS and then my consultant a gets them from my GP with no problems.

[Maggimunro]

I had my Holter 7 day monitor recordings in Sheffield but all results are now stored digitally via going to Manchester for input onto the system (crazy but it is what it is).

For both of my last appointments, usually about 6 weeks after I wore the monitor, my EP couldn’t retrieve the results due to either glitches in the system or after the huge hack of NHS computer Systems last year.

It can be frustrating waiting for results.

[mavisrich]

think it takes that long to get the monitor read. They don't seem to do them immediately as the list is long. I would just be patient if I were you.

[shirlygirly]

Thanks so much for all the advice, Im beginning to think it may

take weeks for the monitor to be read. When I tried to change

my cardiology appointment, down for 9-30am at the moment,

I was told that for ' new patients' appointments are between 9 and 10am.

I live on a route quite a way from the hospital in a village with 1 bus per

hour that takes 1.1/2 hours to get into town, then make my way to the hospital

another bus journey away. When I explained that Im not exactly 'new'

having been a patient for 5 years prior to being discharged about year or

so ago. Evidently Im classed as new now.

I think I will just play the waiting game, but when you feel you have lots

of things going on with your heart that are worrying, its difficult. I would

hate to complain and then to find out it is nothing to panic about.

Im sure lots of you will understand.

[lee49uk]

For now i would stick with the appointments already set and see how it goes its good to hear things are moving forward for you. If you are worried about waiting weeks and weeks between appointments and your episodes are frequent maybe a kardia mobile would be helpful to you to help record possible wonky heartbeats etc. As i understand it the costs of private ECG etc can quickly become astronomical which is why i suggested the kardia mobile device to give you peace of mind maybe.

[Westsidestory]

Go and see him privately, and go from there , things usually get speeded up then .