I had an ecg which my gp flagged up as indicating some problem with my heart. They even sent a paramedic to my home to check I was ok. I feel ok, sometimes a but breathless, occasionally dizzy, but better now I am taking statins and aspirin.Anyway, I made an appt with NHS cardiology. Earliest was next Feb. So I decided to go private. Had another ecg (£120) and a meeting with cardiologist who suggested an angiogram. I thought about it for a week, and asked if a CT angiogram was possible (seemed less invasive to me). He said that would be ok, and I shouldn't feel guilty about requesting it. Radiology would get paid for it, not him...
6 weeks later after emails, texts to his secretary, phone calls to the private hospital, I have heard nothing from him. Not a peep. What do you think I should do? Is this normal? Am I being ghosted because I didn't go with his initial suggestion. Is there someone I should complain to? I'm not too sure I want to put my health in the hands of someone who treats me with such poor communication. What do you think?
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jaybee99
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sorry bit confused by your post - doctor recommended an angiogram and you asked if have a Ct angiogram instead - what’s the difference? Did you mean you wanted a CT scan instead?
They do two different things regards depth of investigation. I’ve had both Ct scan first then angiogram.
Have you tried calling the secretary instead of text? Or go up to the hospital?
Maybe he doesn’t think there is anything for him to do, he expects yourself to “purchase” directly the Ct scan by contacting the people who book appointments/ take payment?
Sorry, maybe I'm not using the right terms. The doctored proposed an investigation where they would insert something through my wrist and up to my heart to check for any blockages that way. I asked if I could have the CT scan version instead which seems less invasive, as a first step. I did try calling the secretary, and left messages, but got no response. You may be right about me making an appointment for a scan, but that wasn't made clear to me at all. And even if that was the case, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some response to my emails, messages and texts, even if it was just to say 'It's up to you to make a scan appointment.'
The NICE guidelines recommend a CT angiogram initially rather than an invasive angiogram for the diagnosis of possible stable angina.
A healthcare professional should make a shared decision with their patients including discussing the benefits and risks of any procedure or treatment offered.
Have you had a clinic letter from the Cardiologist involved?
As others have suggested I would pursue this with the hospital or clinic concerned.The Cardiologist is professionally obliged to write to you and your GP about the consultation they had with you.
The cost of a CT angiogram or invasive angiogram are not trivial.
Do make sure you are given a detailed breakdown of the costs.
Also what happens if there are complications.
My husband has private health care through work.
He had an ablation last year, the total bill was about £20, 000.
Another option is to contact the NHS hospital and see if you can have a cancellation if one comes up.
Sorry this is my misunderstanding you did say CT angiogram i.e. scan rather than invasive. And yes they should have the courtesy to respond regardless.
CCTA , Coronary Computed Tomography Angiogram, is a special type of CT scan, sometime called a Heart CT in laymans terms, a special contrast dye will be injected to add further resolution to the coronary arteries, used to be they would slow you heart down with metoprolol but to be honest the new scanners don't need this.
You have slipped through the system probably a computer error, you are your own best health advocate, you need to take action and phone /sort this out immediately, if this was me I would be on the phone and demanding to speak to a manager, this is absolutely unacceptable possibly borderline negligent, ECG is a very basic tool and at the point that you are showing abnormal results on an ECG this tells you , you have a problem that must be investigated further. I have a degree in medical physics, and lectured on CT and MRI design at a University.
Please take immediate action, and do not be so kind to this health institution, you have paid good money and they have failed you and probably failed their own health standards, be firm and polite. I feel angry at your story I wish I could get on the phone on your behalf and kick them up the proverbial bum. Let us know how you get on.
P.S. Obviously you did some research to request a CCTA over an Angiogram
Yes you can report any doctor to the GMC for an investigation, even mentioning this will frighten the what's not out of most doctors, as every complaint will need to be taken seriously and investigated.
Thank you, that insight is invaluable, I'm sure that advice will benefit others on the forum. Your explanation of thevtwo procedures I'm going to plagiarise right now actually Bluehope
I think you made a wise decision not to wait until February, if you can afford not too.
I had the CT angiogram you prefer and in my case was recommended by the private Cardiologist too, gave him what he needed to know to direct further, so seems sensible too.
The lack of communication is strange, my guess would be a misunderstanding, computer error type event rather than the Dr /hospital ghosting you (even tho that's how you feel).
If it were me I'd use the Private clinics website to find a responsible manager explain what's happened and make sure your put back on track for examination & treatment. That's what the hospital wants too, afterall.
I would just contact the cardiologists secretary. If you are paying privately they are usually very helpful. My experience was CT angiogram will only indicate if there is a problem. If there is, you have to go on and have the angiogram anyway.
They can stick a stent in whilst doing the angiogram if needed. If I had my time again and had a choice, I would have gone straight for the angiogram.
It's not cheap though. I live in Derbyshire and CT angiogram was about £1500 and angiogram and stent about £5000.
All my attempts to contact the secretary, phone, emails and texts have gone unanswered over 6 weeks.
I take your point about the 'angiogram with stent' route. I feel happier about the less invasive approach of a CT angiogram first, even if it does cost more on the long run.
6 weeks without an answer?? I would not put my health in his hands anyway. Can I ask how you chose that particular cardiologist instead of others? Was it a random choice, recommendation or you read about him/her?
I am very well looked after at the Royal Brompton Hospital as NHS patient but if I had the money and the need to go private I will still choose one of the specialists there who also do private work.
I just chose my local private hospital and made a cardiology appointment. Maybe not the right thing to do in hindsight, but unless I'd had a personal recommendation, I'm not sure what else I could have done.
What you could have done is ask your GP to refer you to the private hospital and the NHS will fund it. This is what they - nhs- have to do if you can't get the treatment within the waiting times on the NHS website.
What you could have done is ask your GP to refer you to the private hospital and the NHS will fund it. This is what they - nhs- have to do if you can't get the treatment within the waiting times on the NHS website.
Just a quick word of caution ; I had an MRI done privately (£1000), through my private consultant, and subsequently had an emergency so was under NHS care. My NHS consultant requested the results of the MRI for comparison purposes ( had one under NHS care) and it was refused as being the property of the private hospital .
I have relied on the NHS for treatment ever since .
What!!! I had a spinal MRI privately and I was sent copies of the images. I would have thought you should have had your copies after all you paid for them!
Yes they are yours, in Ireland they upload them on a website which you join with your details and PIN number and you can forward them to any professional you want either public or private. The medical hospitals can also access them if they need to with your oral permission. Used to be the case where the private hospitals kept them and charged any other medics for access. Government stopped all that years ago.
Yes great in an emergency but endless waits for investigative procedures in NHS which is why so many people go private. Generally they give a far better level of care and respect. and your health should not be down to a lottery.
I am surprised by this I work in the private sector and we have forms to request imaging from the NHS and other hospitals and the system works the other way too. Also with private imaging you should receive a copy of your images and a report after your consultant has discussed your results with you.
The consultant discussed the results with me but I didn’t receive images nor a report. The NHS was told that I had paid for the interpretation of the images, not the images themselves nor the report.
My NHS consultant is great, (although I haven’t seen her professionally for a couple of years and when I met her recently she said her lists were very long, but if I needed her she was there.)
I only went privately originally because my GP recommended a particular consultant with whom he had trained, but I don’t think I would go down that route again unless it was really necessary.
If you want a copy of the report which to be fare is the most important bit you could try contacting the consultants secretary and ask her to send you a copy. It is your right to have this private or NHS.
I work in private healthcare and have also been down the road of a private cardiologist. My experience was a CT angiogram was the first investigation. I was given a form to take to the imaging department to book the CT. The results of this then indicated that I needed further investigation and then had an angiogram. I am lucky in that I have private healthcare through my job. A CT angio is a lot less costly than an angio and if that comes back OK it may mean you do not need to go forward with a very costly full blown angiogram, so defiantly the way to go first. Maybe you should look at a different hospital or cardiologist and one who also does NHS in your local area. Mine offered to refer me back to the NHS if my insurance hadn’t covered me.
Just been through full investigations and then surgery ( private ). Didn’t get on with first consultant for similar reasons you mentioned , plus was rude. In hindsight I should have changed consultant as soon as felt off as he made the investigation period a lot more stressful and difficult than it already should have been.
The difference in feeling with the surgeon consultant was night and day.
My advice would be to change if possible, your paying so there will be others available.
Sounds very frustrating- maybe speak to your GP and request a blood sample test which will check for ‘markers’ which may tell of a recent heart attack before you splash more cash. I had an unusual ecg detected by GP was sent straight to emergency department had blood test and then spent nearly six weeks in hospital as I needed bypass surgery. They don’t seem to be taking your symptoms seriously enough. Good luck getting sorted - if not turn up at ED or ring ambulance. Note that the angiogram is not pleasant but only really when accessing the artery which is under local and sedative if needed.
I did ask my gp about blood tests and he said they were used when heart failure was more obvious than in my case.I did actually buy online, a troponin test kit, which does test for one of the markers for heart problems. It says you are supposed to be a health professional to use it but...! Anyway, it was negative, which gave me some comfort. I'm not overly stressed about my situation, although maybe I should be! As one of the other contributors said, it's a good idea to get to the bottom of things. Otherwise I'm just guessing. If I hadn't had an ecg which showed 'something isn't right' I would have just carried on as normal, putting symptoms down to age (65)
Probably wise to action this as soon as possible as everyone has pointed out. I found myself feeling breathless whilst playing social tennis and a had a slightly odd feeling in my left arm-hand late August 2021. Put it down to age (71) carried on playing tennis etc.October ECG diagnosed with mild angina -January CT scan 80 blockage LAD - Angiogram severe stenosis confirmed unable to stent - bypass surgery September 2022.
Having being blessed with relatively good health my whole life this experience really brought home to me just how close we all are to the edge. My advice to you would be to get this sorted asap and don't do what I did which was carry on playing tennis etc in the mistaken belief my symptoms were just getting old.
So, please don't hesitate and do whatever you need to do to establish why you're feeling breathless.
Thanks Denis. That's good advice. I think I have a tendency to put things down to age (65) and just put up with them. But I am going to get to the bottom of it!
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