"Pulled from Pillar to Post - Part 2"

I feel as though I do nothing but complain about my treatment at Dumfries & Galloway Hospital and I am conscious of the fact that I could be earmarked as a trouble patient. However, that is not the case. All I want is to reach my retirement in good health, so I can enjoy the fruits of my labour.

After criticizing my treatment in 2016, following a heart attack and subsequent double CABG, my complaint was investigated. The result, no liability was accepted by Dumfries & Galloway. (I have broad shoulders and I was not looking to blame any one individual).

So after recovering well, I went on to the Cardiac Rehab class for nine weeks. Totally impressed with the service and staff and I felt that their care speeded up my recovery. I also made some good friends. However, with every good point comes a bad one: 

1. The lectures we received raised some concerns about my procedure and I asked if the staff could find out if the two arteries by-passed were the ones that I had stents in or were they my good arteries.

Response: They could not find out as there appeared to be nothing on record that they could access but they would try and find out. Response: they did not know.

2. Following Cardiac Rehab I had several weeks of physio for sciatica and was recommended for an MRI Scan. However, when I notified them that I had stents and CABG, I was advised that they could not do an MRI if the stents were still active, i.e. not by-passed, as the heat could damage my heart. So the Physio department said they would contact Golden Jubilee to find out.

Response: They did not know but were prepared to take the gamble if I wanted to go ahead. My obvious response was NO. Later the Consultant rubbished the physio comments!

3. In June 2017, I started to suffer again with Angina pain and eventually reported this to my GP in October 2017, who referred me to the Cardiac Consultant. I believed it would be the same one who saw me initially back in 2016. No, it was to another Consultant.

4. In November 2017, I saw the Consultant who knew I was there after experiencing Angina pain but was surprised to hear that I had stents in 1996 and 2001. Clearly I was frustrated that they did not read my notes before seeing me.

5. I asked the Consultant if they could tell me which arteries had the stents and had they been by-passed. Their immediate response: "I don't know".

6. The Consultant then arranged for me to have a Perfusion Test and a Echocardiogram. Later in November 2017, I telephoned the Cardiology dept to see if an appointment had been made and was advised, 'No' but a provisional appointment was in the diary for February 2018, for me to return to see the Consultant. Before any tests were done or results known!

7. In December 2017, I went to the Royal Infirmary Glasgow and had the perfusion test completed on the same day. Excellent service.

8. Later in December 2017, there was a cancelled appointment and I had my echocardiogram appointment in the new Dumfries hospital. All went well.

9.  In January 2018, I received a copy of letter from a Locum Consultant, who I have never seen, reporting on my echocardiogram results on from Dec 17. My GP and I disagreed with his comments, "The findings are reassuring despite his multiple previous MI's". Really ! news to me. had my notes been read or perhaps recorded correctly, he would know that I had only one in October 2016. I then asked why there was no report on the Perfusion Test, carried out earlier in Dec 17 and was advised to contact Cardiology at the Royal Infirmary Glasgow. I did and was told that the Perfusion test results were sent to Dumfries Hospital four days after the test.

10. Later in January 2018, I contacted Cardiology Dumfries and asked why I had not received a report on the Perfusion Test. I was told that the consultant left the hospital in December 2017 and that they would look into it and call me back, which they did. I was told that the report was still sitting on the desk waiting to be written by a Consultant as the locum had also left the hospital.

11. By mid February 2018, I had not received an appointment to see a Consultant and I telephoned Cardiology Dumfries again. On this occasion I was informed that they did not know if the report had been written but I was due to see my original Consultant who referred me for the operation. However, as the consultant now worked only one day a week, they believed that I would not see my Consultant until sometime in March 2018.

So now it will be nearly 12 weeks after my Perfusion Test before I see the report or a Consultant and I do wonder will they eventually be able to tell me which arteries were by-passed or is my Angina happening because my other 2 arteries are starting to narrow.

Am I asking to much of the NHS when there are more deserving cases to look after?