Hi,
For anybody with routine follow up appointments with a cardiologist - has your appointment been cancelled due to Covid and instead a telephone appointment been made?
I have 6 monthly Echos and a follow up with my Consultant. I am concerned I haven't had an Echo for over 6 months and now this has been cancelled. I cannot phone the hospital and speak to anybody as I just get put through to an answer phone.
Just wondering if this is happening to anybody else?
Thank you.
It will be happening for the majority of people as clinics have been closed.
I was due a vital pacemaker check in April but it's been postponed until end of July and follow up with my Cardio in August which will then be 5 months overdue.
I have had 2 other Consultant appts changed from clinic face to face to telephone and I really don't think it works well, one of my Cons said this will change the way outpatient clinics are run in the future as more of them will continue with phone appts rather than face to face.
Hi,
I was due a follow up a few weeks ago, I called Cardiologist's secretary and she arranged for me to have an Echo followed by a telephone consultation with Cardiologist.
See if you can get your Cardiologist's secretary's phone number, if you haven't already got it.
hth
Hi, thanks for your reply.
That's reassuring to hear that they have arranged for you to have an Echo.
I live 2hr30 from the hospital I go to, so I'm wondering if I could maybe have the echo locally instead.
I have phoned my Cardiologists secretary but I cannot get through to speak to anybody - will just keep trying!
I had my last Echo and follow-up appointment with the cardiologist in January just prior to the start of Covid, He then arranged an appointment for a year’s time, adding that my follow/upappointment would be over the ‘phone. So I think that the new regime was about to become more commonplace even before the arrival of Covid because it was even being mooted in relation to GP appointments.
Answerphone for Consultant sec works here. She never answers directly, but always rings back. Is yours not responding to your messages?
I have also had a phone Appt with Cons. and she rebooked the angio in 2 weeks, It was cancelled from March.
Perhaps your GP would nudge them?
I hope you get some good care. They do seem to now be picking us routine folk up again!
Hi Kristin,
Thank you for the message - I will keep nudging them!
Take care.
I’ve been having telephone appointments with my GP for a few years now and it works very well. Sometimes they ask me to the surgery the same day if they want to see me. They email my different consultants at the hospitals and advise me accordingly. I find it very reassuring and have complete confidence in my treatment.
Hello,
Thank you for your message.
Yes you're right - symptoms are more interesting to cardiologists! I will sit tight and hopefully speak to my consultant in the next couple of week
Take care 🙂
Contact your cardiologist secretary and ask for an telephone appointment?
I have had 3 consultants appointments cancelled including a very important pacemaker appointment as it has to be adjusted
They have been remade for August but still don’t know if they will go ahead
However My heart failure nurse does my appointments by telephone monthly so some reassurance
I to am waiting for results and echos etc etc and possibly an op
But at present everything is all over the place
GP rationing appointments
Cardiology follow up
Post CABG - when did you have follow up appointment? 
Bit nervous on follow up echo
