On the forum I see members contacting arrhythmia nurses. Is there such a thing in Scotland? They sound like a very useful asset to the NHS and people suffering from arrhythmia problems
Arrhythmia Nurses : On the forum I see... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Arrhythmia Nurses
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helpmabob
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Well l’ve been wondering the same thing. I’ve wanted to find out how to get in touch with one, but nobody seems to know. Will be very interested in any replies you get.
BobDVolunteer
I'm not too sure on that. I was patient rep on the BHF committee that trialed the positions and placed the first 34 such nurses in 2006-8 but not sure any in Scotland. The positions were largely taken up by NHS at the end of the trial. The title was actually ANS or Arrhythmia Nurse Specialist.
helpmabob, are you related to me?
To your query, my first-ever Cardiology Appt at Barts 17 days ago was actually taken by such an ANS. And with Arrhythmia Nurse Specialist stitched into her uniform! I got the impression that because my heart "plumbing" was OK, I didn't really need to occupy the time of an overworked Catdiologist. After I asked, she then said her interests were "electrical" issues with the heart, as with EPs. She had worked on this field for 3 years. But I was well happy with the service she provided. She even managed to get a Vitamin D monitoring blood test for me that my GP couldn't provide for another 3 months. And then at the end I got the general email address of the Arrythmia Nurses at Barts. I have already used this email address to send more information to this specific ANS. I don't imagine I would ever get the email address of the Cardiologist!
Anyway, Arrhymia Nurse Specialist, very very good idea for someone like me.
Regards to the "bob"(?) family,
Ozziebob
Hi Ozziebob good to speak with another member of the “Bob” family. I’m very jealous you have access to an ANS. What great support
I meant to add that the ANS, at the end of our appt, said she would of course refer my details to the Cardiologist but would be writing the Report to my GP (and me) herself, including drug recommendations (as PIPs), and a referral to Anticoagulation, plus my blood test results. That's everything really, at least for my simple case.As for the email address I mentioned, it's just a general one to all of the Bart's Arrhythmia Nurses, and I had to put my Nurses name in the subject field to try to ensure she attended to my email. (How else to do this?) So at the moment I've no idea how often such emails are picked up, or how quickly or slowly, or if ever. My information didn't require urgent attention, but if it did, I would like to think this email contact did work as needed by patients.
Bob
At the end of our project we asked all the EP consultants if given a choice they would prefer another registrar or an ANS and 95% said ANS. These nurses are MA level education with special interest in arrhythmias and worth their weight in petrol ( Have you seen the price of gold these days? lol.)
I guess different parts of the UK choose how to spend the money they have for NHS funding. I believe no one in Scotland has to pay for a prescription? Under pension age people have to pay £9.35 for each item prescribed in England. I don't know how Wales or Ireland are set up. In the UK it's only the larger hospitals that have AF nurses.
Yes, it's a shame we can't all work under the same NHS plan.
Jean
You make good points Jean. I agree with your last comment
You don’t have to wait until retirement in England to get free prescriptions, Everyone aged over 60 gets free prescriptions in England. If you're under 60 you can save money on prescriptions by buying prescription prepayment certificates from the NHS for 3 months or 12 months. This covers all prescriptions for that period, regardless of how many you need. Also, people on certain benefits also qualify and the under 16s.
You're still paying for those prepayment prescription certificates though aren't you?
£30.25 for 3 months, £108.10 for for 12 months. These are certainly a better deal if you tend to have a lot of prescription's.
My answer to helpmabob was really about how each of the UK countries allocate their NHS allowance in different ways.
I live in County Durham and am due to have a Cardioversion next week. I was very surprised to find that it will be performed by a Cardio Nurse Specialist (assume this is the same as arrythmia nurse) at University Hospital North Durham. I wasn't in the least disappointed after I had met with her for my pre op. She ordered an Echo for me which I had today and she will be able to see this before my CV and she explained everything in terms I understood and put me entirely at ease. (I'll be a bag of nerves next week :)) She works very closely with the EP who is based at James Cook in Middlesborough. I much preferred her to the Cardiologist I saw in March.
The more I hear about these ANS nurses the more I wish we had access to them north of border. They sound very competent and professional
I've had a couple of DCCVs done by an arrhythmia nurse but there is always a Dr in attendance, which seems a bit counterproductive. At my last one in April, one of the EPs was actually there.
Sounds like you have access to a good Cardiolgy team
I am fortunate indeed. My EP is fantastic and very accessible and now I have a surgeon involved, who has been very informative and spent 2.5 hours across 2 appointments with me. I have to say, there are 3 arrhythmia nurses and it does depend who you get as to whether you get answers or call backs, but still lucky to have access.
diminished. Im from the same area and also saw an Arrhythmia Nurse which was all I needed at the time. We are lucky to have James Cook Hospital as a Flag Ship . Saw an EP there,
Hi. I live in Edinburgh and asked the Cardio the exact question. His answer was "No". He said they have nurses for other heart conditions such as Angina but not for AFib. I should have asked him why...but guessed it was because we were a "lower" ranking in terms of mortality etc.
Vince
I just searched the Internet using Arrythmis Nurse Specialist Scotland, and found an NHS Scotland advert for a job position from May 2022. That was for the Golden Jubilee Hospital. So, I’m assuming there are some in Scotland and it depends on individual health boards?
Hopefully the NHS is also recruiting arrhythmia nurses for other Scottish hospitals
I think they are likely to have some in some health boards and not others - which will be similar in England and Wales. I found this info on NHS Tayside on their page about Cardiac Rehab-“How do I access Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Usually you will be referred by a specialist nurse (Cardiac Rehab, Heart Failure or Arrhythmia nurse). You may also be referred by your cardiologist, GP or practice nurse. “
I really don’t think it’s a ‘north of the border’ thing.
Another thing from Tayside - from the BHF pages too £
bhf.org.uk/for-professional...
Random £ sign was a typo!
That’s a great article those two nurses have done awesome
The link to a cross-party parliamentary report within that article is interesting. I’ve downloaded it to read later.
Hi Bob there is an arrhythmia nurse at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, which treats both NHS and private patients. I have a phone number somewhere once l find it l will send it to you.
Yes there are at least in Lanarkshire and they are brilliant . PM me if you want more details
Hi Kenny that’s really interesting. I take it you’ve been referred to one of them. Who referred you a consultant or GP
They are a real asset if and when they call you back - it has not been unusual for me to wait months for a return call
You're not in Coventry are you by any chance ? 😁
Nope I’m north of the border
When I was first diagnosed with afib my first appointment was with the arrhythmia nurse. At the end of the chat he gave me his nhs card with phone number and email and said if you have any problems email me. That was four years ago and I still mail him for advice, although he is very frugal on giving it, as AF is so complex, but he is handy to have alongside you on the journey and usually mails me back within a day or two.
That’s awesome!!
Wow.
Hi Bob, never encountered one in W mids or London. Have seen specialist cardiac nurses but they sound different.
Would be wonderful to have these nurses in the USA.
Absolutely!! It would surprise me if you don’t have something similar
By the way helpmabob, in my area we only have the services of the AF nurse for a year after the last time we saw them. After then we have to go through the procedure of seeing our GP and being referred. I couldn't just ring one now as I haven't seen mine for several years.
Ahh ok. I think that sounds fair otherwise the AF nurse would be completely swamped with patients
They are swamped where I live. The nurse once told me that they were getting a lot more young people now with AF. I can't help but wonder if that's to do with todays diet and lifestyle.
I’m sure that will be the case
Hi. We have one at our local hospital (north east) who is brilliant. She’s an advanced prac and very knowledgeable. Quite hard to get hold of but I suppose that’s because she’s so busy.
The arrhythmia nurses at Papworth in Cambridge are wonderful. They even did my three month post ablation review this time due to the backlog. They can talk immediately to the EP and get advice and medication changes. Plus they are patient, kind and friendly. I got their number off my hospital discharge letter or advice letter.
They sound great your very fortunate to have them
Geez. The more I hear this the more it makes me want to move over there....not that I could. 😕
Papworth is one of our best heart hospitals and I'm extremely lucky to be under them. It can be a bit of a lottery on the NHS as to what service you get as you see from posts on here, but overall, despite underfunding, the NHS is great. The main problem is getting seen in the first place often and where the famous long waits often are.But I don't fancy the US system where smarmy doctors advertise from billboards. Seems immoral to us Europeans!!!!
It's immoral to me too! The way Drs advertise their services. Billboards, newspapers, magazines. And the unending commercials on TV for insurance companies. And the unending commercials for pharma meds. Then there's the tv ads for specialty centers for cancer and other diseases that most people can't even dream of getting help from unless they have great insurance or deep pockets. Drs and hospitals don't have to accept all insurances. They decide which ones they will take. Which makes it harder to find a decent Dr. It's such a money racket. Immoral and shameful. And it's just getting worse. Take care and be safe. Hope the heat is easing up over there.
My last cardioversion was carried out by a very experienced arrhythmia nurse. We have 4 at the NNUH and my cardiologist gave me a direct contact number. Meant my case was reviewed the day after I contacted them directly. No need to go through my GP for her to contact the cardiologist and so on.
Awesome!!
Not in the Lothians sadly. There is a project being run by nurses with Napier Uni trialling a new afib app that I’m part of but I don’t think they are arrhythmia nurses
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