Exercise test.

[Lydia1960]

Have been having serious physical symptoms that have been causing me quite some worry. Can someone tell me that, if I go private to have an exercise test to check for possibility of heart failure or other heart disease would the NHS go ahead with an operation if it proves necessary or can they refuse this? I am 57 years old, not in good health, so would welcome any comments on this..

[Bella124]

I'm not sure but I have heard you can't swap over from private to NHS. You need to go to your doctor and tell him how you feel that you want to be referred for tests. Good luck

[Lydia1960 in reply to Bella124]

Thanks for this advice. I shall do this. Talk to my doctor.

[Nettyanne]

Hi Lydia, I saw a cardiologist privately as I didn't have much confidence in the NHS one. The private Dr recommended a stress ECG which I paid for and he then said I could carry on as a private patient or transfer back to NHS under his care.

I transferred back and am now on a waiting list for heart surgery to replace my mitral valve.

Best wishes

[Lydia1960 in reply to Nettyanne]

This is very helpful advice and will heed it well. I will follow this up by talking to my GP just to confirm and that I might need a referral. Hope your operation goes well for you.

[Lydia1960 in reply to Nettyanne]

Just wondering that, if I have to get a referral from my GP, can they refuse that and, if so,is there anyway round that..

[Judym in reply to Lydia1960]

My GP referred me to a private cardiologist and after my initial consultation he transferred me to the NHS for 48 hr monitor and stress test which took a while. I've had both tests now and a follow up appointment arranged on NHS.I obviously paid for the initial consultation but that took a few days instead of up to 17 weeks!Hope you find this info helpful.

[Lydia1960 in reply to Judym]

Yes, definitely. Your example has given me insights as to how proceed. I shall definitely be looking into what steps to take next.

[Nettyanne in reply to Lydia1960]

Don't see why any GP would refuse a referral to a cardiologist, if you decide you want to pay to be seen privately that is your decision and they should be happy to refer you.

Try not to worry I am sure your GP will be open to your request. Thanks for your good wishes.

[Lydia1960 in reply to Nettyanne]

Okay. Thanks for calming my mind. I will speak to my GP on this matter..

[gal4God]

I had one on the NHS. They are not nice tests but I guess they are worth it. I walked and ran at different speeds on a treadmill with a ecg Test at the same time.

[Lydia1960 in reply to gal4God]

That’s exactly what is needed. To test my walking and running speeds with a ecg test too. I’ll make that suggestion..

[Jaycey]

I have done this several times. You will need your GP to refer you to your cardiologist of choice. Going private means you will have an appointment within a few days. During your consultation you can indicate any treatment needs to be done under the NHS. Wait times for treatment may be longer but if you do have any heart issues you should be fast tracked through the NHS.

[Lydia1960 in reply to Jaycey]

That gives me some confidence. Yes, it would be a good idea to get these troubling symptoms looked into. The sooner the better. Then, with the consultatant, he will be able to advice on what tests are needed and, if they prove positive, what treatment might be needed. I’ll ring them next week for confirmation.

[AnneMargaretMary]

Good advice from Jaycey.

I had a CPET test. This involves a stationary bike and is much more sophisticated than the treadmill test. I also had an angiogram. Both were provided by the NHS and were nothing at all to worry about.

I'd been having a lot of chest pain but my results showed that I did not need a stent or surgery so I'm being treated with medication.

I hope all goes well for you.

Anne

[Lydia1960 in reply to AnneMargaretMary]

This all gives me some hope. Again, I can discuss this with the consultant to find out what will need to be the next steps taken to establish what is going wrong with my heart.. thanks for the kind thoughts..

[AlunH]

Hi, I had to see a private cardiologist 1st as my employer wanted to know why I wasn’t able to carry on working (construction) which I paid for to keep my employers happy, but when told that it sounded very much like I had heart disease I was allowed to go back on the NHS waiting list as I couldn’t afford private treatment. Hope that helps?

[Lydia1960 in reply to AlunH]

Yes, that is worth bearing in mind. So I will talk to my GP next week on this topic with all the matters raised here.. thanks..

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

Hi, some good advice, above. How you get evidence of health needs, is apparently not important. Once a need is established [through private or NHS] you can take your place on NHS lists, for treatment, but it’s only based on Clinical need.

One slight problem for me, was that my private Hospital notes were not available to the NHS. Just the private Consultants summary letter.

[Lydia1960 in reply to Kristin1812]

Some good insights here. Would the consultant’s summary letter have enough details to ensure treatment from the NHS? You seem to be just suggesting otherwise? Again, something to discuss with my GP before going ahead with this.