I know a good many of you who have had it done privately will be on a private health plan anyway. But what about those like me who don't have private health insurance? I am going round in circles. I have tried for a year. I thought I was getting somewhere but repeated tests seem to be slowing everything down. So I've had a recent ultrasound and the technician did think I would be a pacemaker candidate. But after 4 weeks I've not had any written info but more appointments by phone. In the meantime I'm have bad episodes with heart rate dropping to 25. Called paramedics! Private Hospitals request a referral, im not seeing any one to ask for referral, g.p. is only offering telephone appointments booked 3 weeks in advance, duty doctor just fobbed me off with the age comment. So there must be a system for applying for private care. Or maybe not!
Anyone had pacemaker fitted privately... - British Heart Fou...
Anyone had pacemaker fitted privately in U.K.?
You said you have had ‘phone appointments’. We’re these with your GP? If not, your GP can refer you, if they think it is indicated.
Sadly that's the problem. They don't. It may be because my local hospital does not do heart surgery though we do have cardiologists and a specialist ward. So relationships aren't there between g.p. and heart surgeon. I also realise that I probably would need to have all the tests repeated by a private team due to nature of heart surgery. You can see I am clutching at straws! I dont want to regret not trying. Thank you for reply.
If your local hospital can't help ask to be referred to a different Cardiology unit.
You will need to have lots of tests and possibly also see an EP before they even think about a pacemaker, it took 6 years of repeated tests and different cardiologists before I finally had my pacemaker fitted.
It's a long slog and you just have to be persistent but going private for all the tests and any procedures would no doubt be hugely expensive, I'm seeing a private consultant for something else and the costs are crazy !
Thank you. I have heart failure nurses tomorrow so I will start the merry go round again but you never know if one day I might find myself on an NHS list!
Hi 100 (do you realise you've switched back from 101?). I always found my HF nurse (when I had one) has a lot of influence, so if you can persuade her to get things moving, you should get somewhere with the NHS without having to go private. Alternatively, how about having a one-off private consult with a cardiologist. That doesn't commit you to further private work, but the consultant should be able to set your mind at rest and get you onto an NHS list if necessary.
Thank you. I have heart failure appointment tomorrow so thats the plan. I did ask about cardiologist but I haven't seen one for a year. All this is happening now because I was admitted to hospital a few weeks ago and on 24 hour monitoring for 5 days. Now I have a cardiologist I am talking to in 3 weeks.
Its a long story but a new tablet, health unlocked wasn't happy with 100 so I added +1 but couldn't get rid of old one? So many think im a daft old lady. They're right.
I'm 59 and don't understand any of this "new" technology 
Mine was implanted privately but under a healthcare scheme. The thing that got to the bottom of it for me was a 'loop recorder' which I had implanted. They needed to take the data off prior to a scan which could have erased it and as a result a lot of issues were noted, so, I was privately admitted the next day.
Thank you. I am building up a picture of what could happen.
Best bet would be to make a private appointment with an E.P.
I wish. My NHS has 3 cardiologists , 1 small cardiology ward, 4 hf nurses. I haven't met an EP yet. Closest for surgery is about 100 miles. And a g.p. who only makes appointments 3 weeks in advance and only by phone. And im too old to move!
I thought that our doctor was difficult to contact but your needs an assistant.
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