how long to wait?

[HarryBell]

Some 5 months ago I wrote (on the suggestion of my gp and my specialist's secretary) to my specialist as there were some oddities in my recent diagnosis and a lack of data from my recent echo for aortic stenosis. Having waited 4 months I gave a ring to the secretary again, she said that the old secretary had gone and they had no access to my original email but that if I re-emailed her she would take it up promptly; since then I have heard nothing. I am slightly concerned that my specialist is not giving me the attention that I deserve (the specialist has serious health issues), notwithstanding Covid19 etc. What would you do?

[Sunnie2day]

I think if it were me, given the specialist has (per your OP) serious health issues, I'd ask my GP to ask I be referred to a new specialist with some urgency - you need answers about the stenosis at the very least and you've already been waiting five months.

Please update us - many of us have had similar delays and hearing what worked for someone else is always helpful. Plus (more importantly) we care

[HarryBell in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thanks for this, my GP is rather reluctant because of his respect for my specialist (who is a great guy but now very unwell with ms). I feel a bit caught as I am asymptomatic and over the past 4 or 5 years my stenosis has fluctuated from moderate to severe to now being moderate and the Aortic regurgitation has gone from mild/moderate to zero- a very weird set of results. I do feel generally a bit tireder (Covid overload),

[Sunnie2day in reply to HarryBell]

Oh dear, that makes it tricky. Still, your GP has a duty of care to you and needs to gently ask your consultant to recommend someone - your GP can use wording like 'As busy as you are just now, can you recommend a colleague you trust to give a bit of temporary support?'.

If your consultant is truly great he will be sad to lighten his patient load but happy to fulfill HIS duty of care to you.

I feel confident saying this - my late husband was a consultant surgeon and when his health began to deteriorate, he reluctantly began referring his patients other consultants. He didn't want to but knew his condition meant he was not going to be returning to practice. Your consultant likely doesn't like the thought any more than my late husband did.

Good luck, and again, please update us.

[HarryBell in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thanks so much Sunni, sorry about your husband; he must have helped many people in his life, Kind Regards Ron

[Maisie2014]

I agree with Sunni. Ask GP to contact consultant for advice. My GP emailed my consultant and rang me the next day with the response.

[HarryBell in reply to Maisie2014]

Thanks for your reply, hope you are well.

[Hidden]

I found little joy ringing my surgeons secretary so I rang his weekly clinic which he does one day a week, obviously he isn’t seeing anyone but they are still doing phone consultations. I asked the clinic to ask my surgeon if he would be kind enough to give me a ring to discuss a recent scan. He rang me back.

Try asking if you can speak to one of his registrars if he isn’t available. Good luck, I know it’s worrying.