repeated cancellation of cardiology appointments

[SucklingPig]

Yet again my latest cardio appointment has been cancelled again and after a month still no replacement date issued .I was rereferred by GP in December following erratic heart beats received letter from hosp said would revue case and respond in 21 days 6 week later received phone call to say my local large hospital has closed its cardiac dept would I be prepared to travel to another hosp 25 miles away to which I agreed. received an appointment which was then cancelled by text saying new appointment would be sent still waiting 4 weeks later.

I did get to see a cardiologist last sept after a years wait and multiple calls chasing up for appointment to be told wait was because my cardio doctor had left the hospital and i was not put on replacements list so far i have had 6 appointments cancelled and it take over a year to get to see anyone and the last one did not even take ecg or listen to my heart though have told might need pacemaker to regulate heart rate

I am not happy with the care I am receiving from my health trust/hospitals

[Lowerfield_no_more]

I sympathise and would also not be happy about the care received from your health trusts if it were me. You have several options, put up with it, offer your self up for a cancellation appointment if you have not done so already, keep chasing, complain to the hospital, enlist the help of the PALS team at the hospital, and/or try to enlist the help of your MP. Or if you can afford it and consider it necessary go down the route of private medicine. Unfortunately in spite of the billions the NHS consumes each year it can be shambolic at times, and successive governments don't seem to know what to do in spite of their rhetoric and attempts to reorganise the deckchairs. Hope you can sort something out.

[Happyrosie]

Lowerfield says shambolic. A good adjective.

Certainly approaching the PALS team at the hospital might help. In different contexts I’ve contacted them and both times they managed to untangle whatever it was that had tied them up. It didn’t help me but it did help other patients down the line.

[Larneybuds]

As suggested by other members....contact PALS. For myself and others I know, plus members on the forum, they have always been very responsive and helpful. Good luck x

[Blackknight57]

where are you? Manchester and London hospitals have an outbreak of Noravirus.

Something Papworth asked when i went in monday. Asked several times. I asked why ghe question. Answered as above.

[Bluelobby]

2 words pal .....broken Britain.

[Grimmer]

I ha lots of atrial ectopics in September 2023. Finally saw cardiologist who ordered tests . Still awaiting results !The government want people to go private and do away with nhs

[Brack1]

I find myself in the same boat! In May 2022 i has an NSTEMI, it was found that the LAD was 100% blocked and i was surviving on co-lateral circulation. I had two stents fitted at the third attempt owing to severe calcifiaction (4 1/4) hours on the table, an experience i would not care to repeat!). I was told I would see a cardioligist within 6 weeks. The six week appointment never materialised and I got an appointment at 3 months which was canceled 60 miles into the journey to the hospital. I have had three more appointments cancelled at short notice and it is now 18 months since the final procedure.

The only heart expert I have met is the interventionalist when the procedure was finally done. In all this time i have not spoken to a cardioligist or any other expert outside of the cath lab, and the only information I have is letters sent to my GP.

I have phoned the appointments department and the Interventionalist's secretary many times and all they say is that I am non urgent, on the list and will be seen eventually; but the time scale may be more that a year. The appointment just kepps getting " kicked down the road"

Fortunatly the final procedure was sucessfull and I am doing well. But it would be nice to be signed off and be able to get holiday insurance.

If I don't get an appointment by the second anniversary I may try PALS.

[Carrotcakemad]

I have had the appointments and so far 3 hospital admissions while waiting for a date for my valve replacement. I was given 4 - 7 months wait. The hospital admissions are a result of symptoms from my diagnosis of aortic regurgitation. I think yours is an unfortunate case as the care is not up to standard. Sometimes you have to keep pushing and complain. In my case have had excellent care and attention. The waiting is something beyond anyone's control because of the backlog caused by the pandemic. Best of luck.

[wischo]

The private route is your best bet and for very small money will put your mind at ease or at best find out what if anything is wrong with you.

[Mancunian1]

to echo what others have said, and as somebody working in an acute nhs trust.

PALS is the quickest course of action to try and elicit a response. Do keep on with it as these things can get bogged down so don’t assume everything is progressing so check in for updates. It’s the only way really to get a direct line into the departments quickly usually as going via generic phone lines doesn’t usually get very far.

Hopefully you can get this resolved soon.