"Urgent CABG experience"

My father was admitted for urgent CABG following 10 days in a DGH hospital with unstable angina. He had been told back in March that he needed triple bypass surgery. It was now October. His initial outpatients appointment was end of October then put back to end of November. We were all worried as he had 70% occlusion of his main coronary artery. We assumed it was because he was asymptomatic. He then started to get chest pain and three days later was in CCU in DGH waiting for a bed. Every night he got chest pain between 3-5am - I used to wake up at home same time unable to sleep for worrying he may have heart attack and not make it to his CABG surgery. It was a very stressful time waiting for a bed in the regional cardiac center.

Eventually we got the green light and he was transferred although with the caveat that he may be cancelled if emergency case came in, for example ruptured aneurysm etc. NHS founding principles based on treat those in most need. That I understand. However, was shocked to find on admission for his CABG; a private patient in same bay opposite bed who had CABG Friday before, having waited only 4 weeks. It seems that care is not based on most urgent need but on who can pay. It is worrying to think how often is this happening, is the additional revenue re-invested in the NHS and the cardiac unit to improve NHS services for patients and staff? I must be a bit naive! Although I have always known private care exists have never seen it done using NHS resources in this way having life or death implications for NHS patients.

Otherwise the care pathway was smooth and Dad had excellent surgery in the regional cardiac unit (thank you) and his pre-surgical care in the VHK was fantastic too (thank you).