"Supply of echocardiology results"

Thank you for your kind reply. A great deal has happened since we last corresponded most of which has been satisfactory. In February my younger son took me for an emergency consultation at my GP. My GP said that I should be taken direct to Acute admissions at the QEUH. I was admitted, drained of 4.5L of oedema, stabilised then discharged on a week later. I was told that specialist cardiac nurses would visit me to continue titration of my medication of beta blockers.

I waited fourteen days. I had no contact with anyone. I telephoned my GP and asked if they had a contact number for the specialist cardiac nurses. They said they had not and neither had they had any communication about me, apart from a copy of the immediate discharge letter from coronary intensive care.

I then decided to telephone the ward from where I had been discharged.. When asked whether they had a contact number for the cardiac nurses, after looking for about 4 minutes, I was provided with a telephone number. I tried twice tens of minutes apart. But could get no response. I found this present site and sent my first story. Very fortunately, probably in response to my initial contact, I received a telephone call at just after 5.00pm on a Thursday from the cardiac nurse specialists. I was then given a home appointment for the Monday

That consultation was extremely helpful and meaningful. My beta-blocker dose was increased and other medications altered. The local pharmacist was able to supply the new medication immediately upon presentation of the prescription, signed by the cardiac nurse, by my wife. However, I am a little concerned that if I had not personally pursued the matter then nothing would have happened to update my situation. I wonder how many other patients would have been prepared to personally pursue matters. Or just been dissuaded by their GP surgery. I had the confidence to proceed with matters personally because I had taught in the Medical School at Glasgow University over the last 35 years during my working life. And I was prepared to speak up to try to ameliorate matters. I am now very relieved and satisfied to be included within the specialist nursing care cardiac environment and look forward to my next appointment in two weeks time. But I have still not received an appointment to discuss the results of my echocardiogram from the New Victoria Hospital.

Dear Ms McFarlane,

Thank you for the above information. You say the Consultant made a referral to Cardiology on or about 23th February. But the Consultant has not contacted me, the patient. I was admitted to the Intensive Care Cardiology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for one week in February 2017. One consultant there obtained a record of my echo on the 1st March and informed me that I suffer from severe cardiac failure. There has been no other contact with either a consultant or my GP so I know no detail about my condition. The only therapeutic advice I have received has been from the cardiac nurse Eve who has now visited my house twice. The cardiac nurse was extremely helpful and encouraging. She said that my consultant had requested another thoracic x-ray and this has been scheduled for 18th April at the New Victoria ACAD. So I am glad that some progress is being made. But I still feel I have not been provided with adequate clinical information or insight.

Thank you Pensioner Will