Cardiologist with imagination in or near West Midlands?

[Ansteynomad]

Discharged by NHS after myocardial perfusion scan results were ‘entirely normal’, I had three angina-like attacks the following week. GP cannot re-refer, but will write for advice if pain responds to GTN spray, but I’ve not been able to test that yet.

Afriend with a medical background has advised me to cut to the chase and see someone privately. I am based on the east side of Birmingham but prepared to travel within reason. Is there a cardiologist out there who might look at vasospasm, variant angina, acute coronary syndrome etc?

I guess responses need to come by private message.

Thanks.

[Zena166]

Hi. Your local Healthwatch maybe able to help you navigate and find someone. Try and identify someone who is research active they enjoy the challenge I think you should be entitled to a second opinion maybe pester your GP. Will message separately as well. Hope you get sorted. Zena

[stevejb1810]

Firstly, try the GTN spray thing - if it relieves your angina like symptoms, then you will have a strong answer as to what your issues are. If it doesn't, it might be something else (but it might still be cardiac - GTN isn't an answer for everything cardiac.

It is within your rights within the NHS to ask for a 2nd opinion and I believe your GP is obligated to help you do that. He/she might not like it, but ….

As you have said you can go privately - the best advice I can give you is to do some online searching. Find the really major cardiac centres near you (Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham, I think) - you are looking for true cardiothoracic centres, and then find out who the top guys are and then find out if they do private clinics (most do). Its a bit of a faff, but best I can offer. The other approach is to find the local private hospitals and make an appointment with the cardiologist there - most private hospitals will give a brief biog of their consultants so you can choose.

There is one other route,next time you have an Angina like attack (and you know that the GTN will not resolve it), go to A&E. It can be a bit hit and miss, but you will likely be seen by a cardiologists and it will probably get you back on the cardiology books. Its not something I'd normally recommend unless you are in real pain - A&E departments are already full to overflowing - but it does follow the advice of the BHF (if your pain gets worse, go to A&E).

[Ansteynomad in reply to stevejb1810]

I will use the GTN as soon as I can, but so far I have simply not been able to because the episodes are happening at night. I haven't had a proper one in the day since 24 March.

I've looked online and may have found someone from the QE, but the private hospital can't tell me whether he would be suitable and have given me another number to call, which hasn't been answered yet! I can afford to do this, but I can't afford to spend the money and then find it's the wrong person.

I have thought about calling an ambulance every time and telling them the cardiologists are increasing their work load!

I'm going to try this number again.

[Ansteynomad in reply to Ansteynomad]

So the other number turned out to be his NHS Secretary, who was baffled as to why the private hospital had referred me to her. She very glibly said that any cardiologist would do for angina, so that was basically the end of the conversation. A & E it is then.