Out of area cardio treatment / NHS Hospital wait lists

[Andrew_H]

Hi everyone, new to the site and awaiting 3 vessel surgery, worried that although my case is classed as urgent I'm being told several months wait time (covid backlog) which has left me very anxious, was wondering if anyone has any experience of this and whether I can be put on other NHS hospital cardio wait lists?

[Blackcatsooty]

I went direct to a cardio surgeon specialist. His secretary did the niceties of referring to the NHS that i abandoned.

Being away from home territory was not an issue. You cant have visitors anyway.

I was being given weeks to live and, at that time, all nhs hospitals were closed.

So i paid. It is expensive. Very expensive. But i am alive.

Good luck

Colin

[Andrew_H in reply to Blackcatsooty]

Hi Colin, glad to hear it’s all worked out for you, I guess not everyone has the financial choices available and rely on the NHS to provide the critical care required, to my overseas friends the fact that we pay for our health care through taxation leaves them wondering why we have the wait times! It’s clearly a resource / funding issue but the human cost and anxiety for waiting patients is huge and alternatives should be sought.

[Blackcatsooty in reply to Andrew_H]

I have to admit to feeling guilty about using scarce resourses. It was a truly unique situation. Told I needed an op immediately. Then told Basildon had closed. And Colchester and Harefield and West Brompton. My NHS consultant was upset as I guess she knew I wouldnt survive. I was not really fully aware what was going on, but the waiting was the worst bit.

I made a decision partly based on the loss of pension for my wife if I died. So paying tens of thousands was a logical decision. A major issue was how much would it cost. And I never knew until four months after I was safe and home.

I did get fabulous treatment in The Cromwell hospital, Kensington. I think they were struggling because their wealthy overseas clients wouldnt travel to London.

But no rehab. Promised Basildon would provide rehab but they couldnt.

Colin

[Milo47]

Hi Andrew. It’s a very good question. My husband has had three heart attacks and has been told needs a triple bypass ,no other options available. He has waited seven months for an appointment which came yesterday and is seeing a surgeon on Tuesday. He has been told after more tests he will go on a list. He has no quality of life and has not been out since august last year. I looked it up and the waiting list is up to eighteen months long. It feels like his life doesn't count for much.

We wish you well. Christine

[Andrew_H in reply to Milo47]

Thanks Christine and so sorry to hear your woes, your wait times feel unacceptable and as you say no quality of life and coupled with an anxious wait. Im sure you have already but I’ve enlisted the support of my GP who’s been a strong advocate in pushing my case forward with the NHS cardio teams. It’s sad but you have to be pushy sometimes to get things addressed and prioritised. And perhaps you should look into out of area choices. Good luck with everything.

[Somersettony]

I'm also waiting for multiple bypass surgery. I am told that it is not urgent, and I should be operated on within 12 weeks, and that there is no extra delay resulting from the pandemic. If it becomes urgent, it will be done within 2 weeks, or if an emergency, within days. Where are you that you are waiting several months?

[Andrew_H in reply to Somersettony]

Thanks for your thoughts and pleased to hear that there is no extra delay in your case, I imagine it’s dependant on the cardio resources in your area, I’m in East Sussex and looking for out of area alternatives as been given no date as yet and feeling anxious.

[Chickenlou]

My fiancé was told he needed a triple bypass on 19th December 2019 and his surgery was on the 27th January 2020 (he had been under the cardiac dept since Jan 2019 when he first had issues and during that year had had various tests and a failed stent placement.)

His condition did worsen over the year, but once it was decided he needed the bypass everything happened quite quickly and he was considered in urgent need by that point. (Though this was precovid)

[Andrew_H in reply to Chickenlou]

Thanks and pleased to hear that everything has worked out, Covid has certainly had a huge impact but the NHS is still resourced challenged and it’s the waiting for the treatment that’s the hardest, you’re deemed urgent but still have to wait.

[Hidden]

15 mths ago my husband took seriously and suddenly ill with mitral valve disease - March last year he saw the consultant and was put on the urgent surgery list - one consultant 250 miles away from our remote home does it. He was put on the list two days before we went into first lockdown. The hospital played a major part in coping with covid cases and instead of surgery in April 2020 we were told maybe by end of 2020. Without surgery he was given end of this year to live.It was one of the hardest things, seeing him deteriorate but knowing there was a pandemic going on as well.

We received amazing phone call support from cardio thoracic liaison nurse who we could phone if we we had questions and she would phone once a month to update us re covid.

Unfortunately my husbands health severely deteriorated in June but one phone call to his liaison nurse to report the worsening conditions his cardio thoracic surgeon arranged for him to go in a week later to have surgery.

24 days later my husband returned home to recover.

If you are struggling to cope I would ask your GP or your cardiologist team to be put into contact with the heart liaison nurse to gain extra support. Good luck

[Andrew_H in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your kind words of advice and thoughts with you on your difficult journey, it’s really sad that it seems the patient has to be in a near critical state to receive urgent treatment, friends from overseas do not understand why our healthcare system is not more preventative. The NHS do a wonderful job but they are resourced challenged.

[Hidden in reply to Andrew_H]

My husbands cardiologist and cardio thoracic surgeon were devastated at the delay but we were hit with a health pandemic - the part of the UK I live in only one surgeon performs the surgery my husband required, and he worked in the largest hospital in Scotland - cruel timing ! Hopefully government will learn for the future - my husbands health issues were not preventable and weren’t due to him being neglectful of his health - just his valve catastrophically failing at the wrong time - for a bloke who never suffers colds / flu he went for the major illness at the wrong time !