Saw GP re cardiology appt

[countrygirl]

Re previous post aboutbeing rushed to hospital after wacky heart do and very fast heartbeat twice in a week.
I saw my GP who had the a and e report which said tachycardia - ectopics faintness and chest pain refer to GP - he laughed and said usual in depth report. anyway he said I need to see a cardiologist as the tests I need ie a long ecg monitering either 7 day holter or long term implant! are only available via consultant so he looked on computer for an urgent appt with cardiologist - 4 months for urgent/6 months non urgent!!!!!!!!!!
He then said I am not allowed to say this but can you afford to pay to see a cardiologist quickly and luckily thankfully I can so he is writing to the top man in my area for a private appt - gp said if he can't see me within a couple of weeks then tell him and he will make me a private one with one of the Drs from the cardiology centre about 90 miles away.
My Gp said only way to get to cardiologist is to be admitted to hospital otherwise its the very long wait - I know from other people that they have had to wait months for appt so was not surprised.
Gp inadvertanty did not do me much good as when he asked me if I could pay he said didn't want me to wait 4 months as without the attacks being captured on a moniter no one really knows if they are life threatening or harmless:huh: I thought thanks for that this is what I am already worrying about. He also said again without knowing what is happening it will have a big impact on my life and I said it is I am terrified of being alone in case I keel over and he said he understood.
So fingers crossed I can get a private appt quickly. In the meantime I am on my own every evening this week as husband is out and I haven't the heart (hoho) to ask him to stay in.
Guess I am going to be phoning alot of friends just so I am in contact with someone in case I keel over!

[Dizz]

Surely that is not right. I don't mean that you are telling us wrong... I mean the fact that your can't get an apointment sooner without paying.

Can't your doctor refer you to a private hospital where the NHS still funds the bill for your test, my sister-in-laws doctor did that for her and sent here to BUPA for free when she needed some gynocological tests. Also my uncle who is extremely fit and healthy has just had heart tests after being a bit breathless but not feeling ill.... he went to his doc, was sent to the hospital for some scans (or whatever it was) and saw a cardiologist within 2 weeks.

I'd push a little harder if I was you as although obviously you are willing to pay, and so would I, you really shouldn't need to. Saying that I suppose if it was classed as urgent they would have had to send you straight away. Maybe the doc is just trying to get you to pay to be seen sooner so the wait it doesn't cause you any unnecessary anxiety or worry.

[countrygirl]

I'll explain a bit the GP can refer me for some cardio tests quite quickly such as a 24hr ecg and an echocardiogram but these tests are not what I need - I need to be monitered for much much longer than is available via your GP. The private hospital intiative is not avaialable to all health authorities and only for certain proceedures conditions so you may be able to see a cardiologist via private on nhs in one area but no in another.
If I had tests on nhs and they picked up something then I would get to see cardio earlier but GP thinks its a million to one chance that I would have an attack while having 24hr ecg and doing these tests via gp all wastes time as they in themselves take weeks to get- he wants me to see a cardiologist first then they can arrange the necessary tests.

I agree its terrible but I know that in my area a friends mum kept fainting and she waited 6 weeks for a 24hr ecg and 4 months for the cardio appt - it turned out to be her diabetes not her heart but she was classed as urgent initially.

As usual depends on where you live.

I could try finding out if there is another way of using nhs but again its all time and I would rather pay and find out whats what.

[Dizz]

I can fully understand that and if I was in your position and given what you have said then I too would pay to be seen quicker. Just a shame that the NHS can't system accomodate your needs sooner but at the end of the day as long as you have the necessary tests in a timescale that suits you then that's all that matters. I hope you didn't think that I was criticising your decision to pay as I certainly wasn't.

Hope everything turns out fine for you :hugs: x

[baileys]

I really dont see what the problem is in having a 7 day holter monitor. You just need to go to a clinic that sets you up with it and read it a week later. My son had this test as his heart was beating very fast for a few minutes daily and he was feeling faint with it. Although the doc wasnt concerned, as its quite common in teenagers he had the test within 4 weeks.

[countrygirl]

Dizz - thanks for your reply , I ddin't think you were being critical of me paying I just wanted to explain why I feel I need to go private and how different health authorites have different criteria and ways of working which answers baileys post about going to a clinic and getting a 7 day holter there is no way my GP can send me to clinical investigation for a 7 day holter its just not possible in my health authority he can only send me for a 24 hr one as in my health authority only a consultant cardiologist can request the 7 day holter. mad I know but thats how the nhs works.

Its like mri scans my GP can refer me direct to the mobile scanners that come to the hospital but not he fixed scanner in the hospital as that is only for consultants use or private patient use! and also he can send me for a mri of my spine but not of my head its madness,

[baileys]

Its like mri scans my GP can refer me direct to the mobile scanners that come to the hospital but not he fixed scanner in the hospital as that is only for consultants use or private patient use! and also he can send me for a mri of my spine but not of my head its madness,

You have to go to a consultant in my area for tests like, scans mri etc the doc cant ask for them but my sons monitor was put on by a nurse and then read by a cardioligist, its not a big deal so i was suprized that its not something that they do in all regions.