Angina/prognosis/wait times

[Scoops007]

Hi, looking for wait times help.I saw the cardiologist in May and diagnosed with Angina. In July I had a angio CT scan and currently waiting for an Echo. However I'm now being told these are a 12 month waiting time!!!

I am pushing for results from the CT scan, however apparently they often only report when all the tests are back.

Surely after that long a wait for an Echo the CT scan results will be classed as out of date?

CT scan was 6 weeks ago and I'm still in the dark.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[annpavitt250448]

I would push to get results. I can only speak from my experience when I had a C.T. angiography last year. The consultant explained to me straight after the angiography the provisional results. (Blocked arteries). I got a letter a few weeks later for an angiogram .

[Scoops007 in reply to annpavitt250448]

Hi, thanks, I will try. I had called the cardio secretary last week but she managed to tell me absolutely nothing. Will try again this week. Did you have an Echo? I'm struggling to believe there's a 12 month wait in my area 😔

[annpavitt250448 in reply to Scoops007]

I did have a stress echo, but because I had a completely blocked LAD I agreed to take part in a trail Basildon Cardiothoratic centre were running so got my echo as part of that. My friend had an echo at our local hospital and I think she had to wait 3 or 4 months for that. I suspect it depends unfortunately where you live.

[Blearyeyed]

After 6 weeks those results should be available and they should have been sent to your GP and Consultant.You can contact the hospital to get a copy of these results , they cannot withhold them from you , its your right to see the results of each individual test at a time under Data Protection Policy.

As you say , the CT results can at least help alone to help them assess how to manage your condition whilst waiting for the Echo. You should ask your Cardiologist to at least assess and report back on the CT , the common practice may be to wait and assess everything, but this practice wasn't based on the possibility that there would be such a long delay between the tests.

Waiting twelve months between the two tests is considered as an unacceptable delay in treatment so it is something that the department needs to be questioned about.

[carer999]

Twice I have had to wait 8 months for test results. The first time was for a 7day holter test and the second time was for a stress echocardiogram. The second time. Whilst waiting for stress echocardiogram results after 4 months I was in A and E with chest pain which I hadn't had before, but they would not pursue further as I was already in the system waiting for results. When I received the results letter, it all was ok but I was getting more chest pains. The doctor response to my question was the test was ok 8 months ago and things would not change in that time.

[Deejay62]

Hi I had an Echo in January after a spell in a&e, i have heart failure and the doctor consulted with a cardiologist who put me forward for an echo. I had the echo within 2 weeks. The last echo I had before that one was 4 years ago.

People are waiting long for test apparently

Recently my doctor sent me to a&e to get an ECG because Gp don’t have a machine. They ended up giving me chest X-ray and ECG. The thing is when I asked the doctor if they received the results they said no but a&e said they would, because it goes on the system which is connected to my gp, so I don’t know. It just don’t make any sense to me.

[Scoops007]

Thanks everyone, I've chased the cardio secretary again. Apparently doctor is on annual leave now!! But did confirm they had my results from ct scan. More waiting 😓 Oh my goodness, Deejay62, not good at all. Look well if I wait 12 months for the echo and a further few months for the results 😔😔

You certainly need some patience in this area of the NHS!!!