discussion Off to a heart specialist!

[Tim Marlow]

Made an appointment privately with a local private hospital . Seeing a consultant on the 1 oct . Was concerned about how long a wait I would have with the NHS.
Having a date is such a relief.
John

Hi John. When I went to A and E with my embolisms a couple of years ago I was seen and on an ecg machine within a few minutes, and assessed quite soon afterwards. After that I had an appointment with a specialist, was scanned, X rayed and ultrasound tested, and on treatment within 24 hours. That response reflected the seriousness of the issue, which was potentially fatal (even though I thought it was basically a sore leg and was just a bit breathless). The speed of response was absolutely tied to the seriousness of the situation. If yours isn’t moving this fast then I wouldn’t worry too much. You may well get an NHS appointment before Oct 1st (my birthday ) so keep your options open.

 

[John Race]

Hi John. When I went to A and E with my embolisms a couple of years ago I was seen and on an ecg machine within a few minutes, and assessed quite soon afterwards. After that I had an appointment with a specialist, was scanned, X rayed and ultrasound tested, and on treatment within 24 hours. That response reflected the seriousness of the issue, which was potentially fatal (even though I thought it was basically a sore leg and was just a bit breathless). The speed of response was absolutely tied to the seriousness of the situation. If yours isn’t moving this fast then I wouldn’t worry too much. You may well get an NHS appointment before Oct 1st (my birthday ) so keep your options open.

That was impressive treatment Tim, good job they reacted like that.
Going to be a good day then, your birthday and my appointment

 

[John Race]

All the best John

Thanks John, appreciate it .

 

[rtfoe]

Hi Wobble,
The date with the specialist is kinda way yonder. Over here we get to see the specialist within the day regardless the situation also depending on whether you are free for the day. In between the waiting you will be sent for blood tests and whatever is required for the appointment with the specialist. Usually a letter from your GP will speed up things. Perhaps we don't have many with major medical problems to crowd appointments.
So if they have put you for 1st October then I think they must know what they're doing. When you made your appointment did you furnish the specialist with your GP's examination or referral?
Good luck Wobble and hope all turns out well.

Cheers,
Wabble

 

[John Race]

Hi Wobble,
The date with the specialist is kinda way yonder. Over here we get to see the specialist within the day regardless the situation also depending on whether you are free for the day. In between the waiting you will be sent for blood tests and whatever is required for the appointment with the specialist. Usually a letter from your GP will speed up things. Perhaps we don't have many with major medical problems to crowd appointments.
So if they have put you for 1st October then I think they must know what they're doing. When you made your appointment did you furnish the specialist with your GP's examination or referral?
Good luck Wobble and hope all turns out well.

Cheers,
Wabble

Wabble I did indeed. Here in the UK a referal with the NHS to a specialist can take some time. Not wanting to risk waiting several months, I decided to go privately. I f howevr I had ended up like Tim in A&E things would have gone quicker.
Wobble

 

[Tim Marlow]

Be aware John, that private clinics can see your NHS data, but they rarely reciprocate this so your GP cannot see their reports, unless you pay them to send a letter onwards of course. It seems to be a form of protectionism on their part, forcing you to keep paying for their services. My daughter had serious back issues around this time last year so we paid for her to see a consultant at a clinic just outside bath to speed things up. To say we were disappointed with the service and outcome would be an understatement. Once the NHS caught up a few months later her experience was a completely different animal. Using the same imaging technology they found things the private clinic did not and gave her a meaningful pathway forward. I would say, in our experience private might be faster, but it certainly isn’t better, and I would think long and hard before using it again.