echo appointment

[Tinker2015]

am I right in saying that you have to wait around 4 months for an echo I have been referred last month for one as not had one in 3 years need to know if my EF has dropped

[Helly75]

It would depend on the kind of referral when the echo was requested, red flag / urgent/ routine ,maybe check with the Dr who is sending you for the test

[Hidden]

It would also depend on the NHS Trust you're under, capacity, waiting list.

[Yumz199725]

Depends on how often you need an echo I was waiting bout 6 months for mine and that was cause of the back log of admin and strikes. Hope your not waiting too long for your echo! ❤️

[Tinker2015 in reply to Yumz199725]

Thankyou for your comment. I might go private if I don’t hear before December I am very curious to know if my EF has lowered as this year not my best

[Yumz199725 in reply to Tinker2015]

Have you contacted your heart team if you feel your EF has changed?? Definitely keep chasing it up I had to with my MRI and finally got the appointment and had it done you have to really be a nuisance for them to help u x

[Tinker2015 in reply to Yumz199725]

They referred me to cardiologist too got my appointment for that 2nd May 2024. I was under a different cardiologist back in 2018 in fact because the appointment was long before I paid to go private and he put me back on nhs for tests. He referred me back with the understanding that if my next Echo deteriorated then refer me back. I had one year after in 2020 no change stable no referral at that time.

[Yumz199725 in reply to Tinker2015]

Right ok so your waiting for another referral?? X

[Tinker2015 in reply to Yumz199725]

I got my appointment for next year just waiting echo appointment not in any heart failure clinic yet. Been under my surgery get a review each year for the last 2/3 years since diagnosis they told me they will refer me to them which is my appointment next year

[wischo in reply to Tinker2015]

They are not madly expensive to get done privately, thats what I would do to put my mind at rest.

[roughquest in reply to wischo]

I paid £430 2 years ago appointment within a week.

[wischo in reply to roughquest]

About 300-400 Euro in Ireland, well worth checking a few places first.

[Maudsnorts in reply to Yumz199725]

Radiographers and sonographers haven't been on stike, and the number of days lost to strike in the last year is less than 2 weeks. The waiting times are due to: number of referrals v the number of staff employed. The length of waiting time is down to reason for referral, e.g. routine, repeat or urgent. And of course this varied area by area, and the overall health inequalities in your area.

[Yumz199725 in reply to Maudsnorts]

I was just going by what I was told at my appointment in January they said a back log of admin and strikes didn't mean the people doing the scans. So I had to wait like 7 or 8 months for a few appointments 🤷‍♀️

[Hidden in reply to Yumz199725]

I can’t see the NHS ever catch up (not in my lifetime) with the delays whatever the reason given.

I do still believe / have faith if it’s uber urgent the NHS is the best in the world!

But waiting is still pants!

[Hidden in reply to Maudsnorts]

itv.com/news/2023-09-08/rad...

[NightOwl8 in reply to Maudsnorts]

Radiographers have been on strike but it wasn't as well publicised as nurses and doctors etc x

[roughquest in reply to NightOwl8]

I had an NHS appointment canceled due to “strikes” however I knew where my hapless consultant practiced privately, rang up as was told he was on holiday for two weeks and not available. Make of that what you will and never believe your trust….

[IDPJ]

I contacted the secretary to my consultant requesting one prior to my next consultation so they had some kind of updated information to discuss.They arranged echo within weeks.

[Cat04]

If you contact the hospital appointments office they will tell you how long the wait on the list is and where you are on the list. You can put yourself on the short notice cancellations list too.

[Blondie12345]

Yes my local hosp was 4 month wait. Had a telephone call with consultant end of march had echo in Aug

[Pepper23georgie]

It varies from each authority and how urgent your team think it is, hope your not waiting too long and it goes ok

[Gibson01]

I think it varies by region. My consultant requested mine in May and I have just received an appointment for October.

If you can afford it you can have one done privately next week! Around £1000 I think

[Gaz22]

I was waiting just over a year for mine

[Craftmadchick]

I have just been advised to have one and I was told there would be a 12 to 16 weeks wait as I have had a bypass two years ago and a pacemaker 3months ago and still feeling very breathless. Also need a 24hr ECG again a long wait I am very concerned so I have decided to go private but it will cost £1000 I feel it is outrageous when we have had so much going on with our hearts but my health comes first so now waiting for the dates to go private hope you reach your decision and wish you luck x

[Sb1171]

really does vary. I am having one today after a routine GP referral. I saw the GP 3 weeks ago.

[Fullofheart]

MRI wait is usually very long. 12 month plus. At least is where I live. Echos are usually a bit more at the discretion of the doctor who can flag as urgent or routine.

[Plum53]

Hi if you mean an echocardiogram then ask to go on the cancellation list. I did this and had a call back just four minutes after I phoned saying could I go the next week so you might get lucky. All the best

[JennyRx]

luckily I only had to wait 2 weeks. The radiographer who did mine was a high level locum who was brought in to clear the list. She’d got it down by 75% in a month. The trust decided to throw money at it as she was paid a LOT of £s

[Scoops007]

Well I'm in Lincolnshire and the wait time for mine is 12 months apparently !!! Unless you are classed as urgent.

[coldplayband]

I am in nottinghamshire and was advised 4 months for my urgent echo referral. I went private, had appt in a week and results in 2 days. Paid £300.

[High_fives in reply to coldplayband]

I had mine at London Private Ultrasound for £250. Varies by location

[Corty72]

My girlfriend works in cardiac investigations (Leicester). It is a 4-6 month wait here. We have friends in Notts/Lincoln border and they had a quicker appointment (maybe < 1 month)

[Auiron]

Guide to NHS waiting times in England

nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospita...

All trusts and services that provide NHS-funded diagnostic echocardiography are mandated to submit a monthly return of their activity and waiting times.

england.nhs.uk/statistics/w....

The operational standard is a diagnostic echocardiography within 6 weeks of request and a service is deemed to be in breach of this standard if more than 5% of patients are waiting longer than this. 1 Aug 2023

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Auiron]

It would be interesting to know what happens when departments within NHS trusts fail to achieve their targets. It's all well and good publishing the data but that doesn't address a solution to the problem. For example is anyone held accountable? I think we probably know the answer to that outcome 🤣

[Partner20 in reply to Auiron]

The operative word here is "disgnostic", which leaves many loopholes, unfortunately.

[Ellester]

I had a blood test for protein in my heart. It came back quite high and the hospital informed my doctor to refer me to the cardio Dept for a echogram. I am due in 6 weeks so the waiting list wasn't bad. This is North Tees hospital, Stockton-on-Tees.

[Qualipop]

Depends on what sort of referral was done. My GP asked for one in January this year and I Only waited about 4 weeks.

[dikda]

dikda

Try "Vista-health.co.uk" - I paid £250.00 for echocardiogram only 3 months ago - they have multiple locations and respond very quickly - seemed to work very well and you and your gp receive a cardiologist's report.

[Tinker2015 in reply to dikda]

Yes I have located a place nearby going to go when I raise the cash lol