Private Cardio Consultant

[Dovaston]

Hi everyone

Has anybody appointed a Private Cardio Consultant to manage and monitor your Heart Health ongoing. Is so what did you find the benefits were ? Also how expensive to retain ? 😊 Thank you

[Chappychap]

I had a couple of private cardiologist consultations before and after an NHS bypass operation. It was very informative, but I don't think it delivered a better medical outcome. It's a few years ago now but I seem to remember it cost about £2-300 per consultation, that's way less than the cost of a car service so I decided it would be short sighted not to invest!

One of my take outs from the experience is that cardiologists are, of course, incredibly knowledgeable about the anatomy of the heart and have a profound understanding of cardio diseases. But they aren't particularly knowledgeable about many of the questions that occupy us on this forum. For example, my sister and brother-in-law are both actuaries, they showed me mortality tables used in the pensions and insurance industries that were far more detailed regarding heart outcome risks than anything I ever heard from a cardiologist, NHS or private. Another example is preventative medicine and heart healthy lifestyles. I understand a doctor training in the UK has something minuscule like two hours of dietary and nutrition training in their entire medical education. In other words they're probably not the best people to advise on your optimum diet.

For many years before I was even aware that I had heart disease I'd had an annual company private medical. Some were conducted in America, others in London, but they were all pretty expensive! Looking back on the test results from those medicals with the knowledge that I now have, it was blindingly obvious that there was a growing risk of heart disease, yet that risk never figured very highly in the assessments that I was given, nor did it trigger further investigation.

I guess what I'm saying is that the NHS may appear a bit rough around the edges, and you might not receive Michelin star, featherbed treatment, but for the majority of heart issues you'll actually get the same medical outcome private or NHS.

Good luck!

[Dovaston in reply to Chappychap]

Very interesting and informative. Thanks for responding.

[boudicca58]

I went to a private cardiologist recently as I wasn't convinced by the NHS recommended next stage. I had had one pressure wire investigation which said my arteries were narrowed but not yet ischaemic. When I said I still had symptoms, they wanted to do it again 'with a different measuring technique'. I had a 40 minute face-to-face conversation with the private guy, had a chance to discuss my particular symptoms and he agreed that working on my weight & health (I'm now about 3 stone less than I was in February) was probably a better course of action. The cost was £250 although he hasn't actually billed me. However my NHS cardiologist has washed his hands of me and passed me back to my GP so I now have no-one monitoring me, unless I want to pay for private treatment.

[Dovaston in reply to boudicca58]

Hi thank you for responding and the information provided.I am amazed you don’t appear to have NHS monitoring I would have thought they have a Duty Of Care ! I hope you manage to resolve this issue and get the outcome you want. Cheers

[richard_jw in reply to boudicca58]

Not sure that the NHS guy can effectively wash his hands of you. I can understand the NHS guy getting a bit miffed, and when you think about it, you really can't have 2 different doctors who inevitably will have different views about medication for instance. I know. It's happened to me, and I had to backpedal and do a bit of grovelling to the NHS guy. There is a good case for a second opinion. Some cardiologists are vastly more experienced than others, and all cardiologists should be used to patients asking for a second opinion, private or otherwise.

I think this is especially true in the case of cardiac issues. Your heart is the only one you have and my guess is that more concerned patients ask for a second opinion on heart matters than many other medical problems.

It's also true that there seems to be a shortage of NHS cardiologists as a result of the backlog created by Covid, and it's difficult to get the attention you need. It was only this week (when I had an angiogram) when I met the NHS guy who is assigned to me I have had phone calls, and he treated me when I was out of it with an MI.

In my case I know that the cardiologists in my local hospital have regular meetings when they discuss such things as treatment plans for specific patients. This gave me a lot of confidence that senior doctors had their say about treatment.

[boudicca58 in reply to richard_jw]

Thanks for responding Richard. The NHS cardiologist 'handed me back' to my GP so I guess I am out of the loop in terms of them monitoring my condition. The GP said she could refer me to a different cardiology unit if necessary, but I guess I have to get worse first.

[dembaba]

Hi, I don't know whereabouts in the uk you are, so I can only relay my experience from the South Essex area. I went to the Wellesley Spire Hosp in Southend (i googled it). I wasblessed to find a cardiologist there who I have formed a brilliant relationship with over

the last couple of years. It costs me £150 a visit, which is a lot of money, but is priceless

to me in getting information I need and told to me in laymans term that I understand.

She also works for the nhs at Southend Hosp, so when I needed and angiogram, she performed it on the nhs. She understands that Im a pensioner, not on bupa, and not

wealthy by any stretch of the imagination!! However, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind as I suffer really badly with anxiety due to my dcm and hf. My Gp is worse than useless

and Im determined to find another this year. The nhs try their best, but now, what with covid and long covid it is getting harder and hard for people like to us regular appointments etc.

I wish you good luck, and if you can, I would 100% recommend you give it a go.x

[Dovaston in reply to dembaba]

Thanks for replying, very interesting and the very reasons I am considering a private consultation to lessen anxiety and feel more in control. Thank you

[dembaba in reply to Dovaston]

Your'e v welcome. Good luck

[Fynndog in reply to dembaba]

Hi dembaba. Very pleased to hear you had such a good outcome from spire Wellesley Southend.I went there and got male Cardio who was very approachable but gave me no joy whatsoever.

I was told to come if Bisoprilol over a two week period. Which I tried but had such awful palpitations I went back on them. I tried to contact him in numbers he gave me but no one got back to me for 30 hours.

During consultation he gave me no info about what he was going to do ( I had several issues)

I left his consulting room really not knowing if he was going to see me again or if he was planning further examinations.

It left me feeling very vulnerable.

Two months later I was feeling so ill I contacted my GP surgery and got a new doctor who ran several blood tests. I was severely allergic to statins and my muscles were wasting. Nearly into next stage that was very serious.

The private cardiologist was told all my symptoms but did nothing about them.

So my private consultation was totally a waste of money and did very little for my self esteem.

I have noticed that HA has affected not only heart but my confidence too, trying to build in that but not helped at all by being ignored.

Hope your health continues to improve xx

[dembaba in reply to Fynndog]

If you do decide to go back to the Wellesley, ask to book an appointmentwith a consultant called Thuraia nageh. She is brilliant. Good luck.

[Fynndog in reply to dembaba]

Thank you for that I will definitely keep that in mind.

[ETHEL103]

Hi yes I've had 2 private cardio appointments in the past 3 months. Cost £600.That included 2 ecg and my GP referred me to him on NHS. Mylocal hospital 10month wait. Going for a private EP appointment on Tues in London. Cost £300.Lots of money but as peeps say there's no pockets in shrouds. Your worth it as the saying goes.

[Dovaston in reply to ETHEL103]

Thanks very much for the reply and info Ethel. As you say it doesn’t come cheap but I expected that. A small price to pay for added peace of mind. Good luck to you you.

[ETHEL103 in reply to Dovaston]

And you my friend.

[netie54]

Yes my husband has had a private cardiologist for approx 15 years. There are many benefits to this care for example if you need you need to speak to the cardiologist you can see him/her in a matter of days and will often ring him at him if he needs a word. He also advised us of a brilliant EP at Papworth who has been worth his weight in gold. Even rang us from the South of France to warn us about a recent result from a test which he advised a pacemaker ASAP. Brilliant service ..... at a price ofcourse. Hope this helps.

[Dovaston in reply to netie54]

Wow 15 years ! Thanks Netie for your reply. It is exactly what you would want from a Cardiologist. Very helpful thanks.

[netie54 in reply to Dovaston]

We had private insurance but since retiring we have to pay as no insurance company would insure existing health conditions. .

[Dovaston in reply to netie54]

Ah the old ‘existing health condition ‘ get out ! Grrr

[daviduk1976]

Hiya, I had the NHS deal with me in an emergency when the HA happened. I then used my work insurance for the next stent op. But I used the same consultant but on a private basis. No washing his hands of me!! He likes me more lol

[Dovaston in reply to daviduk1976]

Hi good for you David LOL 😁