Appointments

[goooders]

Anyone else tried to get a cardiology appointment in London on the NHS in a reasonable time frame? Unless you have a heart attack or go to a and e it’s not really a service which seems to exist. Most of the consultants seem to work extensively in the private sector. I have an appointment in 6 months time to find out the results of an angiogram. Out of interest, rang the consultants private secretary and was offered multiple days next week. There we go.

[10gingercats]

Try putting yourself on the cardiology depts cancellation list and see where that gets you. It works for for about half the time so you have a good chance someone willl cancel and then you take their place.....usually at a few hours notice.

[Blackknight57]

can you check the hospital records to see the results.

[sandandkev]

I think it's the same wherever you live,I had af last July and got sent a cardiologist appt for following Feb,managed to get a cancellation in the Dec

[mozart27]

Under the NHS, you are entitled to be referred to a hospital anywhere in the country. The NHS publishes waiting times so you can make an informed choice. We live on the south coast and the waiting time at our local hospital was horrendous. My wife decided to go to the west Midlands where the waiting time was far, far shorter. It was a relatively easy decision for us because we have family and friends there.

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to mozart27]

I believe this is what you have mentioned

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

[David-66]

I had a heart attack in September whilst in Greece, my earliest available cardiologist appointment in Lancashire area is August 2025.

NHS only treat you if your about to pop your clogs, or visit A&E it’s not a service of prevention anymore….

[dg2024]

I saw my GP, then the cardiologist the next day. I had my results the day after that. But I don't live in the UK. I know some people may object to me saying this, but if affordable, consider going private.

My visits to the cardiologist did not cost me anything because I have health insurance. What could be more important than your heart? I know this may not be a solution for all but I suggest it anyway. To all people who seem insulted at this suggestion: many countries have a different system to the UK and there are no waiting times. It always amazes me why the uk has the model it has.

I have since been to hospital for in and out patient treatment. No waiting times. I was so impressed with the level of care, I wrote a thank you letter to the hospital director. They saved my life.

[Alixia]

My experience with London cardiology is that if your test results are bad, you are seen very quickly. When they saw the results of my holter monitor, the cardiologists themselves were calling my mobile to get me to come into hospital there and then for treatment.

[goooders in reply to Alixia]

Hmmm I’m not convinced. The angiogram discharge notes say 80- 90% blockage of LAD. Also RCA.

[Alixia in reply to goooders]

You asked for peoples’ experiences and I gave you mine.

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

I live in London.

I have been a heart patient for over 12 years. I am admitted to hospital about twice a year.

When my condition becomes unstable, I email my Cardiologist and ward manager.

My Cardiologist often comes to see me on the ward when I am admitted.

I have long waits in A&E for a Cardiology bed. I take my sandwiches.

There are incredible pressures on the NHS at the moment.

However I am aware that many people who live with my heart condition in other parts of the world, including the US and Europe struggle to get appropriate testing, a diagnosis and treatment.

I always have to wait for my routine follow up appointments.

[dg2024 in reply to Milkfairy]

I live in a European country. I was seen the next day. The day after that I was in hospital. Mri scan done 3 days later. No waiting times at all. Nhs will always be doomed to fail. It can never keep up. Why? Because it is "free". Ypu can't expect a good service unless money changes hands. Just my opinion.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to dg2024]

The NHS is not free it is funded through taxation.

I suggest that we agree to disagree.

I am off to walk my dog

[dg2024 in reply to Milkfairy]

That is exactly my point. I totally agree. People think though it is "free" and it is treated as such. Which is wrong. That is why I wrote free in speech marks. We agree! Of course it is funded by taxation but used by countless others who are not tax payers. E.g. Many people come from abroad to use the "free" health service. Ambulances being called out unnecessaily is another example. The kidney dialysis lady from Ghana (in the news some years back) is yet another example. Anything that is free at the point of use, is always abused and not valued. No surprise there are waiting lists. Where I live, there is no such thing as waiting lists.

[Deejay62]

I live in London and I have no problems seeing a cardiologist. I have severe heart failure and I see mine every 6 months. I got a call saying they wanted me to have a 24 hr monitor fitted this week, which I had and my cardiologist phoned me a couple of weeks before saying he wanted to see me again at the end of the month.

He’s always told me if I need to see him to email his secretary. By the way I’m a long term patient. Like Alixia you asked for experiences and I’m giving mine. Even during the pandemic I was seeing mine regularly.

[Silvermedal]

In Kent, new appt for Rapid Access cardiology - 5 months' wait. New appt for routine referral 10 months' wait. Appt for follow-up after heart MRI - one month's wait.

[scottish1 in reply to Silvermedal]

My 21 year old son had a routine echo check up because his dad has heart failure . He got a letter to tell him they were now diagnosing him with the same. A letter!! Urgent cardiology appointment was a phone call 3 months later and then cardiologist says we. Will speak again in 15 months. No empathy, no understanding how shocked we all were. Just a job it seems. He has now had a mri and again was sent a letter saying it was good. What does good even mean? Good as in normal or good for heart failure? Phone appointment with gp and he suggested mri came back normal. GP suggested that because his ef was low at echo it’s more of a preventative measure. Great but so many things unanswered.

[Silvermedal in reply to scottish1]

How worrying and frustrating for you. I would suggest you phone the BHF helpline and if you have the actual report or any letters from the consultant that would be helpful.

I phoned them with my echo report while I was waiting to see the cardiologist and they were really good.

[scottish1 in reply to Silvermedal]

God no, we don’t have access to medical reports here in Scotland. We have to rely on doctors telling us. They only told us his ef because I seen it on the computer screen at the gp appointment. GP said they don’t normally tell people that because people won’t understand it. Not exactly a good reason to withhold information.

[scottish1 in reply to scottish1]

Bearing in mind my husband has had heart failure for 10 years you might think they would have known we would understand it.

[PadThaiNoodles in reply to scottish1]

My cardiologist knows I want all the data and so sends me home with a hard-copy of the report after discussing it with me.

And my GP has learned that he's more likely to get a copy of said report from me than "through the system". (Though this is Ireland; I think the NHS's records system works a bit better.)

[Taviterry in reply to scottish1]

Your GP may or may not have a point. I have difficulty in keeping up with spoken explanations, usually finding the follow-up letter (when there is one) easier to assimilate. When I got on-line access to my test results, I noticed a significant reading from 2014 that had never been mentioned to me, and I've just realised that others showed that I'd been pre-diabetic for two or three years before my GP told me.

Currently I'm unhappy about the lack of meaningful conversations with my hospital haematology department and am paying for a private consultation (and not for the first time).

[scottish1 in reply to Taviterry]

Things get lost in spoken communication. My son told his heart failure nurse that he wanted to know why he has been diagnosed with this because he didn’t want to be taking medication with no explanation. She then told his cardiologist that he was refusing treatment. That’s not what he said to her at all and has told the gp to correct it.

[Silvermedal in reply to scottish1]

To be fair, although I understood it, I didn't understand the implications of the findings and the BHF nurse was able to tell me which part wasn't of concern.

[Qualipop]

It's the same most places now. I'm in Lancashire. I had a referral to cardiology done b y the acute admissions team in Oct 2023; a further referral done by my GP in January 24 for worsening breathlessness. I got a letter saying they'd got he first referral in Dec 23 and that's it. Not heard a word since even though GP has contacted them twice about speeding it up.