Still waiting for a follow up appointment in clinic with the cardiologist after 3 months. Is that normal?
Managed to contact his secretary and she said the next clinic will probably be the end of May, but she would contact appointments and they would send me a date. This would be just over 5 months which seems a long time to me. I am having side effects from the tablets, don't know which one/ones, and my GP is pretty useless to be honest. Just to sit down and talk to him would be a great start.
I had a call from the rehabilitation nurse 2 weeks after my operation, she checked my meds and because I was anxious about it all, put me in touch with Steps to change, the online CBT course which helped a bit.
There's obviously no rehabilitation classes at the hospital in Lincoln I've been told about, and I'm struggling at the moment with the meds, and I feel that I've been discharged with a bucket load of meds and told to get on with it!
Sorry for the long post.
Lily
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MrsSuzuki
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Could u get your cardiologists Secretary to speak your cardiologist and get back in touch with you. Or do u have cardiac liaison nurses that u can get in touch with. Xx
Yes I did get in touch with the cardiac liaison nurse and she referred me back to my GP re meds and gave me the number for the main switchboard at Lincoln hospital! I don't think that the nurses have time for queries if I'm honest.
I asked the GP's surgery if he could get me an appointment with the cardiologist, but they won't do that for a follow up appointment, they would have to start a new referral.
I know if I have any worry’s/concerns my first port of call is my cardiac nurse. I was born with heart condition and am very complex xx
Hello
I am so sorry you are not getting the support and help you need
I was thinking the same as buddy2blue could you not phone the Secretary again and stress you need a follow up before as you do not believe your meds are suiting you and your Doctor has not been any help
Thank you for your reply.I rang the cardiologists secretary again and I now have a telephone appointment for the end of May, only 7 weeks to go -not long to wait then.
O dear that is ridiculous when you need advice now I am so sorry
I know 7 weeks seems a long time and in some ways it is but before you know it end of May will have come
While I was waiting I would start my list now what I want to say and keep adding to it till then if I needed to when you do get that appointment you make sure you make the most of it x
Are there other GPs in your practice, you could try, that you might find more helpful? My GP will liaise with the Cardio by phone, if he’s not clear what to do about my meds. I see it as a good way of getting Consultant advice quickly, without needing an OP appt. I notice a new NHSE circular is trying to reduce GP referrals to hospital Consultants to try and deal with the pandemic backlog.
‘Advice and guidance’ it’s called, so I think they are under some pressure themselves.
hi im 6 months out from my HA and have been told there will be no follow up appointments with my cardiologist unless I have another event! I'm really unhappy about my follow up care which to be honest has been non existant! I have had to go private and I am now getting a detailed heart scan in May, I hope you have better luck than me with your cardiologist x
That sounds much more common now. My GP manages all my regular care, but will phone the Consultant if he needs quick advice on med changes etc. Only new events take me to the Consultant now. I don’t think many are still doing routine care. with trying to focus on more urgent cases.I’m sure most of us are pleased about that when its us having the emergency!
Dear MrsSuzuki
I am so sorry that you have this worry and the only persons that can help you with this is your GP/Heart team and judging by your post neither of these has been an option.
I would keep going at the GP, if no luck there try your pharmacist who issued you the drugs as they will be aware of the side effects for you.
Worst case is a trip to A&E as you can’t have this worry anymore.
Good luck, its so sad to hear this story time and time again, I for one have been very lucky with all the treatment I have had and have been well prepared for my future procedures.
In Cambs I got a call from a Cardiac Nurse 4 months after being discharged and receiving a letter purportedly from the Cardiologist saying they would arrange for an echo cardiogram to check how my stents were settling in and then a followup appointment - this was after I had created a fuss about being ignored which caused me to receive a letter promising a phone follow up with the Cardiologist.
I once again expressed my belief that the Cardiologist had simply tossed me to the wind and was told that she, the nurse, would talk to the Cardiologist and get something sorted.
I'm still waiting for the appointment, but I did check if he did private consultations; I can get an appointment in 2 weeks at an initial cost of 230 quid and even that might not be a face to face consultation, they reserve the right to make it a phone call.
TBH I think it's disgusting. All through the past 2 years that COVID's been around, not once did my consultant breast surgeon cancel my appointment or refused to see me in between my yearly checkup when I was having problems. Kudos to them.
After my HA I never saw the cardiologist again. He fitted my stents, didn't speak to me of explain anything and a day later I was discharged by a nurse. Rehab contacted me, just one appointment to give me the book on diet etc. Wouldn't let me join rehab classes. I had to go back to cardio a month later for another angio to see if more stents were needed but again no chance to speak to he cardiologist and was discharged. Luckily my GP is good but even he had to contact the cardio when I had problems with medication. TO be honest it felt as if I'd just seen a plumber who cleared two blockages and left me to get on with it.
I count myself lucky, I have 2 weeks of Cardiac rehab left after taking a long break in between.
I had 2 stents fitted in October, and was never contacted by a cardiologist again, I was discharged from the hospital where I had the stents fitted, which was a different hospital from where I was admitted and where the cardiologist was. Truth is as I was admitted from A & E I never felt I truly had my own cardiologist.
I was home a couple of weeks and in this time I had a call from my GP and also from the Cardio nurse who set up a few appointments with her and with the cardio physio.
About a month ago I was discharged by the cardio nurse who was actually overseeing my case.
Personally I have not worried over seeing the cardiologist as I never felt she was THAT involved in the case but the cardio nurse and the cardio physio are/have been amazing and are far more hands on than any cardiologist.
Hi. After two open heart surgeries within the last 6 months, endocarditis, sepsis and stroke the only time I’ve seen the cardiologist is when I’ve been in hospital and very poorly. I don’t think I’ll get a follow up. My gp tells me that decisions about heart meds etc are down to cardiology but I haven’t seen them since i left hospital 10 weeks ago. I was promised a phone call recently to explain test results but that hasn’t materialised. Im beginning to think this is the standard of aftercare I can expect. I’m sorry if you are experiencing the same situation. I’m sorry if i sound so negative and I really don’t mean to worry you. I just wanted you to know that it’s not unusual to be left in limbo by the nhs.
Good Morning MrsSuzuki .a Great Friend of mind waited 18 months for all of his stents to be fixed.. He had 2 Heart Attacks and suffers from Angina.I have waited 6 months and last Week I was given my date of my Heart Surgery Operation. I will still have 5 more months until my date is with me.. I am also on the Shortest incase I am giving an earlier date. Stay strong and you will receive a Great day with a date for your Operation.
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