NHS waiting lists?

[KenRC]

Howdy, just a quick question, how long are people waiting for a consultation with an electrophysiologist in the UK? Ive been told ~ 6 months at Liverpool Heart & Chest.

[Bagrat]

Don't know about EP but a first consult to cardiologist from GP is a 12 month wait here as is the wait for an angiogram once referred.

[Alicant in reply to Bagrat]

Dreadful isn’t it

[Thomas45 in reply to Alicant]

21 years ago I waited 10 months to see a cardiologist, after emergency admission to hospital because of fast AF. Give that since, there's been Covid, and a hospital junior doctors strike, it's to be expected that it will be longer. AF is not in itself life threatening.

[Alicant in reply to Thomas45]

Unfortunately I have Heart Failure as well

[Thomas45 in reply to Alicant]

Most of us with AF have Heart failure. My AF is permanent, every second of every hour of every day. I keep up to date with taking an anticoagulant daily and get on with life. The last time I was admitted to hospital by emergency ambulance was because of asthma, which I also have. Asthma can be life threatening. I also have lymphoedema in my lower legs, BPH, and foot drop of my right leg. I was discharged by my cardiologist a few years ago to the care of GPs, as I have no problems with being in permanent, though largely asymptomatic, AF.

[Alicant in reply to Thomas45]

Thanks Thomas most interesting and reassuring..You take care..

[Redactrice in reply to Thomas45]

Some of us don't yet have heart failure but are likely to develop it after being left in symptomatic AF for months/years while waiting for treatment on the NHS (I know whom to blame for this, and it's not clinical staff). For me, the wait began while I was still in my 50s. Drugs have not corrected my rhythm so far and cardioversion failed after 72hrs (after a six-month wait). My long term prognosis is...diminishing chances of successful ablation, heart enlargement (making my case unsuitable for ablation), eventual heart failure and higher risk of stroke throughout.

[KenRC in reply to Redactrice]

Did they not try you on amiodarone? Horrible stuff but the two times I’ve been prescribed it, I’ve been back in NSR within a month. I had the same result as you with cardioversion.

[Redactrice in reply to KenRC]

I'm taking extra flecainide first, and if the higher dose does nothing, I may try amiodarone as a last resort while waiting for ablation. Yes, amiodarone sounds horrible. Glad it works for you.

[KenRC in reply to Redactrice]

I asked the cardiac specialist nurse why they didn’t put me on any of the other anti arrhythmics & she said “they just don’t work” so that’s how come I’m on amiodarone. To be honest, I’ve been lucky on it - the first time - around 6 years ago, it just made me tired, no lasting problems. So far it’s been the same this time too.

[Redactrice in reply to KenRC]

The most recent cardiologist I spoke to (in the team under the consultant I've been seeing for seven years, minus the pandemic) said that 'we could try amiodarone but there can be serious issues with it,' so I went for flecainide first. With all three of my drugs (antiarrhythmic + beta blocker + anticoag), I have a suite of side effects already.

[Bagrat in reply to Thomas45]

Are you sure "most of us with AF have heart failure" ?? That has never been on my radar, which of course is no guarantee of anything.....

[Thomas45 in reply to Bagrat]

I could be wrong, probably am.

[Frances123]

I’m under Dr Derek Todd at LHCH. I initially saw him privately at Warrington (5 years ago) and he transferred me without a problem to his NHS list for ablation. Maybe if you could afford to do that, @£250, that might be an option for you?

[Alicant in reply to Frances123]

Yes if you go private get an appointment tomorrow…

[Bagrat in reply to Alicant]

Or not. Nuffield now require referral from GP before giving appt. ( even though we have gone privately to same cons before) Cons is also my husbands NHS cons and only does private consults once a week.So waiting for GP to do her stuff. More and more people scraping together funds to go privately so waiting times will not be quite as instant in future.

[Sixtyslidogirl]

I had a 7 month wait to see someone, now in 12 month waiting list for ablation. Appalling.

[Alicant in reply to Sixtyslidogirl]

Still waiting to get on a list

[Redactrice in reply to Sixtyslidogirl]

Yes, same here

[KenRC]

Thanks both! I’m about 4 months from my consultation- then however long before I actually get the operation, and want to get off this amiodarone! So I might try your recommendation Frances123 thanks! Don’t know what Dr. Borbas would make of that, he ablated me five years ago but he doesn’t do private consultations…..

[DevonHubby1]

Urgent referral for cardiology was 6 months. Paid for private consult which was done in 3 weeks and then put on consultants NHS list.

[KenRC in reply to DevonHubby1]

How long was the wait for treatment after the consultation?

[CDreamer in reply to KenRC]

The wait for treatment, once on the NHS list, will depend on many factors and where you live. Liverpool Heart & Chest has an excellent reputation and is a large centre of excellence. I haven’t heard of many places with less time on waiting lists. If they judge that you are urgent you may find they act very quickly. Here in Sussex a neighbour of mine had all the tests, including angiogram within a few weeks after A&E admission and is going for ablation in two weeks. That’s a wait of about 12 weeks. Another neighbour had ablation within 2 weeks of seeing EP.

Hope you get seen sooner.

[KenRC in reply to CDreamer]

Crikey, I’ll have to move to Sussex!

[DevonHubby1 in reply to KenRC]

Echo cardiogram done within 2 weeks. Additional tests had to wait for a month on new medication (Nebivolol), and cardioversion took 3 months.

[KenRC in reply to DevonHubby1]

Yes my initial consultation was similarly timed & I was put on amiodarone. I went back into sinus rhythm before my cardioversion was due, so the cardiac nurse referred me in March to LH&C. That’s when the waiting list starts………

[CDreamer]

In 2020 my husband was told 18 months at least. We went privately. Having said that he was well monitored by GP but had some concerns which he wanted to talk to an EP about. Eventually, after 20 months of waiting, he got a telephone appointment about 5 days after seeing an EP privately.

[KenRC in reply to CDreamer]

Awful! You need to be able to speak with the experts if only to allay your fears - it’s never easy is it?

[TootingBelle]

I've yet to meet my consultant after two years. No contact email or numbers and no AF nurse either. I'm often envious and intrigued by the members here who have ready contact with NHS medics. My consultant does do private work so I'm considering private consultation at the moment. just get an idea of what he's like and what options I have.

[KenRC in reply to TootingBelle]

That’s awful!

[Kendalghost]

I waited 18 months to see the EP, the ablation was scheduled quickly but postponed due to the Drs strike. Had it a month later and it failed so am now waiting for a pacemaker.

[KenRC in reply to Kendalghost]

Oh, sorry to hear that, awful having to wait that long for it not to work!

[Rainfern]

I know some people say get on with life, but in the year after I got diagnosed with persistent AF I spent my time researching and finding an EP who worked both in private and NHS practice. That way I paid for a couple of private sessions and put off a holiday. I got expert advice in weeks and put straight on the NHS waiting list first for a couple of CVs then ablation. It all paid off but I’d rather pay £10 a month extra tax and have a fairer system where healthcare is free at the point of delivery . Remember that?

[KenRC in reply to Rainfern]

Yep - old enough to remember that…..