"Taking too long."

This is a  situation with my mother. She has had a health issue for sometime now but she feels everything is taking such along time.

She has had 2 holter tapes and ECG's, in May prescribed another tablet from a visit to A&E, followed by and Echocardiogram. She has been diagnosed with a leaky valve and during a hot spell in June this year had real problems with breathing - 111 arranged a visit with a Doctor at East Surrey on a Saturday who told her nothing to worry about its just the heat.

In mid-July she called 999 as she was very worried, the paramedic who attended said he could hear that she had a leaky valve she was discharged from East Surrey 3 days later with a follow up appointment for Angioplasty on 1st August resulting in a Transoesophageal Echocardiogram as a 'matter of priority'. That appointment didn't come.

5 Weeks later we have had to chase up what is going on as she has an appointment with a consultant at St Georges in September who is going to look at the results of all her tests and decide what to do.

Unfortunately her condition is worsening, for an active lady who loves her golf she has become almost housebound as she gets out of breath climbing the stair to bed.