Echocardiogram

You should be able to get average (usually optimistic) waiting times from the hospital web site.

Hi Dean. Yes, you are waiting too long. You could try Derek's approach, namely call the consultants secretary at Hosp but be warned that they HATE having to talk to patients about appointments!! Be prepared for a verbal tussle to try and pin them down to a date! Alternatively you could try your surgery again but many people, including staff at GP practice's are in awe of hospital consultants. Years ago bankers and head teachers were held in the same high regard and look what's happened to them!!!! Seriously though Dean, you need to chase up the appointment. Be firm, never rude, and be very very tenacious. You'll get there! Good luck!

Hi Dean. Have you kept a record of your appointments at surgery and hospital? Personally my next move would be to write to the Chief Exec at the hospital giving him/her 7 working days for a response before you escalate the matter to your local MP and Patient Care Board. Again, be polite but firm. What area of the country are you in?

Yes I have record of all appointments

I am I South Yorkshire

Dean, unfortunately, it can take a few months to get a first appointment with a consultantart, unless your GP telephones and requests immediate referral.  And I would have thought that due to your young age and your very high BP reading s/he would have done just that.

Although it shouldn't be necessary, have you considered making a private appointment with a hypertension specialist or cardioloigst?  I have done this in desperation on occasion.

Are you taking your BP at home?  If so, has there been any further improvement since increasing the Ramipril?  It can sometimes take a few weeks for the medication to stabilise the BP.

Thanks

My gp sent me straight through to hospital where I had X-rays ct scans n bloods took I seen the consultant who then sent me for the echo he has since wrote to my gp with the results and stating he is sending me for endocrine appointment but still waiting

My gp said he was contacting the consultants because he seems to be the only one who doing anything about appointments the first date I was seen was February 9th n still no further on with any thing apart from knowing the my bp has enlarged the heart

The ramipril hasn't made much of a difference that's why I'm now on the felodipine aswell I do take readings at home and the lowest has been 190/100 to the highest been 210/120 which is improvement from where it was

I always feel that first appointments are the most important and that you should be seen quickly. After all until they actually see you they often are relying on tests that could have been misleading and are relying that  other symptoms have been taken and passed on correctly.

My GP had referred me back to the cardiologist in January but since I have have gone back into AF and have been waiting six weeks for a seven day ECG monitor. That will be on Thursday. When seeing my GP this morning he started to read the consultants quite detailed diagnosis from a letter.

But I've not seen him yet nor had my seven day ECG I protested! The Doctor said, No, but I wrote to him after you went back ito AF.

So frustrating and worrying for you Dean.  Have your tried ringing the hospital yourself, askng to be put through to the Endocrinology Department Secretary?  You could then explain your worries and ask where in the queue you are.

Derek, it seems as though the problems within the NHS are getting worse.  If it is decided that a patient needs the fitting of an ECG monitor, it is obvious that this has been requested because a Dr suspects that the patient is having some sort of heart problem.  To wait more than six weeks could result in a nasty outcome for some patients.

Thanks I will give that a go tomorrow I just don't like to be a pain and pester but I think I have waited long enough now

Dean, you don't need to feel that you are pestering - the doctors are being paid to look after you, and it's you who is paying.  Fingers crossed for you.

Actually it was asked for by a hospital doctor when I was discharged after having been admitted for two days with 232/114 BP and AF.

The AF settled when I was there but started up again the next week and has not gone since. My GP tells me that the hospital only have five of the monitors. That equals one for every 20,000 of our town's population wthout taking into account those in a twenty mile radius who also use it. 

If you don't push you don't get anywhere. Ask about any cancellations they may have. Though I was told that you can't have a cancellation for your first appointment!

I was referred for a neurology appointment in the first week of January. The hospital web site said an average of eight weeks for an initial appointment and twelve weeks for first treatment. When I asked I was told that it was now twelve weeks, then fourteen and more recently that I should hear soon but it has now stretched to eighteen weeks.

Are they falling behnbd or are others getting ahead of me?