I had an echo over 9 weeks ago (no previous heart problems history), but didn't get the results, and neither did GP.I rang the hospital and they said they don't send to GP (even tho I rang a few weeks ago and they said they would) and that instead I would have to have an appointment at the hospital to get results, which could be up to 12 months wait.
Everywhere I've read it says results would be sent to GP if referred by them, so has anyone else had to wait for hospital appointment just to hear results?
I don't expect there to be any problem, but it seems strange to not be able to confirm, especially cos I wanted to do something I needed a healthy medical record for, but it will probably show now that I had echo but no results, so not cleared
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That degree of time to wait sounds crazy to me. I get an echo once or twice a year,nhs, and then see cardiologist who discusses the result with me.I think this is fairly standard .So press for something like this. My Gp usually gets a result too but it is the cardio. who discusses the result with me.
Hi yeah I have an echo every year and sometimes I get sent a letter with results or occasionally have to discuss results with my consultant x 12 month wait is a bit much! I was going out of my mind after 3 months of not knowing 😢x
It is ludicrous that you may have to wait 12 months to hear the outcome of some tests. So why not enlist the help of the GP to get your results? Or as Happyrosie has suggested contact the hospital PALS team. Or even complain to the hospital! I often wonder whether the medical profession sometimes forgets that we are actually their customers.
Yes, getting results from an echo at my hospital is a real hit and miss process. However if you need the results for something specific (surgery in my case) if you phone the Cardiology secretary you should at least get told you’re ok, even if you don’t get full details.
I had a similar situation with my first echo and demanded that the hospital send the result to my GP which they did and he referred my result to a cardiologist who advised my GP on a plan of care for me .
I would recommend that you speak to PALS at the hospital which carried out the echo.
My second echo showed a massive deterioration in heart valve and the sonographer told me immediately and the cardiologist contacted me with a plan within the week.
It may be that all is well , but don’t leave it to chance.
I would imagine that the sonographer will have completed their report on the day and submitted it to the cardiologist/doctor and it is now an appointment with them that you are waiting for. If so the report exists and is personal data about you. You could make a subject access request for a copy and there is a 1 month time limit for them to provide it to you under the Data Protection Act 2018
Yes, I was going to suggest the same. Practically, hospitals/Trusts seem to have different procedures/forms which are a bit bureaucratic. Best to submit via email if possible to help expedite. The echo report will tend to be quite technical, but should give a good idea whether all is ok, or there might be some issues. Sometimes even submitting such a request miraculously speeds up the relevant consultant’s office in offering an appointment! Good luck!
I had to wait three months for mine and I phoned the consultants secretary three times she said it was due to shortage of staff in each department and a backlog waiting to be done.Try PALS I didn't as usual cause any further fuss but I do think you should keep trying.
Hi, I waited 4 months for a result for echo; 6 weeks for a CT angiogram, waited weeks for heart monitor result; in short just waiting! Seen no one to explain things.. so none the wiser. It is stressful, obviously lots of problems in the hospitals. But when going for tests etc. the staff do their best and are very kind, it's not their fault.
When my GP requests an echo my results are usually sent to my GP. If my cardiologist requests it then it’s usually a wait until I next see them 9months to a year, depends on appointment. My Gp then receives it from my cardiologist.
If a&e does it they usually say they will send it to the gp but never does. They claim it’s difficult to do that so it’s sent to my cardiologist who is at a different hospital, and in one case sent me an appointment to see their cardiologist, shocked by the results.
I don’t understand how your GPs request can be sent elsewhere. That makes no sense. Speak to your GP again and see if they can chase it up for you. Or as someone said PALS at the hospital. You had an echo done for a reason.
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