We are all registered with our local surgery, and all good there. But - the OH has an ongoing cardiac condition and an automatic defibrillator inserted. He's had one for 13 years now, just had it replaced at the beginning of this year. In the US they would do a quarterly download of the data from the defibrillator. I told the surgery this back in July, but so far no response at all from whoever is supposed to be doing something about it. The referral has been made to an actual cardiologist, as we did get a letter acknowledging that with them saying they would be in touch with an appointment. I know the waiting times for a cardiologist must be long in this grossly underfunded system, so we are still waiting. But in the US the defib readout was done separately by a technician and the OH would be notified of the results as I say, quarterly, and independently of any visit to a cardiologist. I went into the surgery last week and the receptionist said she would call "them" to see what was going on with getting the download done, but nobody has got back to us at all.

I'm very good at pushing systems along, but I don't know who to push here and I don't want to just piss off the receptionist in the surgery. It's making the OH extremely anxious, which in itself isn't great. Is there anyone I can call? Any direct access to cardiology services? Anything at all?

I know the NHS is in a mess and things are very difficult, so don't really need more info on that. Just need to know what options I have and the best way to push things along.

Do you know the name of the cardiologist? If so I would make an appointment to see him privately. He then may be able to push you up the NHS queue. Worth a try IMO.

I don't. I don't even know if one has been decided yet or who does the deciding, but I can ask that at the surgery. Can you mix and match? ie pay for one appointment and get the followups (annual, in the US) and the defib care on the NHS? Or is it all private or all NHS?

The defib thing was done separately in the US, but maybe it's not here. It was actually done remotely through a device we had at home which established a bluetooth connection with the thing in his chest (yeah, strange).

There are hospitals with cardiac centres about the place.

Is it the case that within the NHS the patient cannot call directly for any services likes this (other than mental health which I know is self refer)? I got so used to being a health care "customer" in the US and having to go shopping for my own services, that I'm a bit at sea.

Sorry it's so difficult Lion. The only thing I can think of is that you phone the cardiology dept. of your nearest hospital (Colchester?) and explain your OH's condition and concerns. They may at least be able to push the data downloading along. Here's a link to their Cardio Dept. page with contact numbers. It also says that the time from GP referral to treatment for 9/10 people is up to 27 weeks for an appointment https://www.nhs.uk/Services/hospital...aspx?id=381704

I hope something's sorted for your OH soon.

I was having a look at that myself. If we need to wait the 27 weeks for the cardiologist, that's ok since he's doing fine overall and didn't see his cardio in the US more than once a year anyway. It's the check up on the defib that is worrying him, since it's not been done since early May.

I will try calling Colchester, but didn't want to just confuse things or annoy the nice person in the surgery who is trying to help but must be overstretched herself.

I wonder if any members of the Cabinet have to go through this. (This may be a sarcastic question.)

Your sarcasm is warranted! Private all the way for our hard working politicians, NHS for us plebs.

I wouldn't worry too much about the person in the surgery, if Colchester will take on the defib checks she'd probably be glad to have one job off her hands.

I'll give it a shot then. I wasn't even clear that they would talk to me tbh. I haven't used the NHS since I was 12 Actually I did use a walk in clinic once a few years later, for birth control, but that was it.

When I was over there I was able to call the nurses in the rheumatology clinic at any time, although that was after my initial appointment with the consultant (I keep going to call them specialists). It's worth giving it a try, they can't bite you remotely. Unless there's some new technology I haven't heard about!

Sorry to hear that you are having such problems. I have heart issues myself and it did take a lot of effort back in 2017 to get a referral to the cardiac unit at the hospital. Once I had that first appointment things became much easier but it took a phone call to the hospital to get that first appointment sorted. After that I didn’t need to see an actual cardiologist as I was put under the care of the arrhythmia unit which is a group of specialist nurses and technicians that did regular checkups and tests. Once I had a “hospital number” assigned it made it so much easier. I had ablation surgery 4 years ago, had a few follow up appointments and then was discharged back to my local GP surgery and they have been good, all through the Covid stuff as well, to call me up every year to come in for an appointment to do bloods etc. I still have the number to the cardiac unit should I need it.

Sounds like the main thing is just to get a foot in the door of the cardiac bit of the hospital. The specialist nurses and technicians are probably the people needed to read the defib

Do you know if it's possible to go private for the first appt just to get things started, and then go back on nhs?

It's a pre-existing condition so I'll never get a policy to cover it.

I'm passing myself off as the poor waif and stray who doesn't know her way around.

Zero problems getting his meds, based only on his medical records. Even his antacids. I get a brown paper bag full of meds at Boots every month, completely free. The first time I waved my bank card about in an attempt to pay for something, and she just started at me in blank incomprehension. I've about managed to stop that now. What 12 years of Tories have done to the NHS makes me angry.

i think that it is definitely worth a try. You could call the hospital directly and inquire. One time when I was in the waiting room for my cardiac appointment there was a couple there talking to someone with a clipboard discussing costs and possible dates for a procedure so I know that my local hospital accepts private cardiac patients.

My wife has unusual eye problems resulting from RK surgery in 1988 and when she was told she needed cataract surgery in 2017 the optician recommended a particular consultant surgeon who also operates at our local Nuffield private hospital so since we have health insurance that only kicks in if the NHS waiting list is longer than 6 weeks she went to see him. He was brilliant and after many tests he asked her if he could do this on the NHS because the eye hospital has much better equipment and the insurance would not cover the specialist lens she would need. He said she was now on his list so there would be little to no waiting and that’s what happened.

Getting your foot in the door seems to be so important.

27 weeks, just for an appointment!

OH saw a specialist about her eyes, diagnosed cataracts (& glaucoma). A week later she has appointment to see another specialist who will carry out op. Barrage of tests & measurements, "sorry, 7 weeks before I can operate, is that ok".

Our GP practice closed down 6 months into covid, winged it for 18 months.
Covid jabs? No problem, registered on Govt website, both assigned by local government to local clinics for the 3 shots we have had so far (4th coming up now).
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Realised that OH really needs a GP now due concern over recurrence of old heart trouble.
Most GPs have full lists but assigned (again by local authority) to GP 15 minutes walk away.
Phoned him up"- "come & see me tomorrow" (this was 2 weeks ago). 35 minutes with him, beta blockers prescribed. Seen him 3 times since (at his request) for monitoring. Registered me as well while we were there.

Every thing seems so damned efficient, everything joined up & connected across different units & specialities. Everything "can do".

Public health system, not exactly rotten with money.

I was having hearing problems and the GP had difficulties seeing into my ears, apparently a narrow ear entrance, and he decided to refer me BUT the waiting list was 18 months, so I asked him if I could go private, and an appointment was arranged within a couple of weeks, Ears examined privately, only problem was the narrow entrance and he felt I needed hearing aids, so I got booked in via the NHS, he did give me a prescription, private one, for some drugs, went to the pharmacy, and the cost on the private prescription was less than the standard NHS prescription cost.

Thanks, both. Looks as though maybe I should try a mix and match approach.

The GP bit seems to be working well. Prescriptions sorted immediately. Flu and covid shots sorted. Surgery has referred to cardiologist. The missing bits are actually getting the cardiologist appointment and getting the defib read.

I will start calling.