"An 'Urgent' referral to a heart specialist brought a dire lack of results"

After experiencing some very disturbing Atrial fibrillations, I saw a duty doctor at my local GP practice, in March this year, he immediately wrote to the local hospital senior cardiologist, and marked it 'Urgent' and told me it would be with the cardiology department the following lunch time.

Nearly one month later, and after further episodes of AF (or arryhthmia) I had heard nothing, so I telephoned the hospital to ask why I had not received an appointment, to be told 'there were no clinics available with this cardiologist'. So I asked if there were any 'clinics' available with any other cardiologist, and subsequently was given an appointment for May.

I saw the specialist who said he would do tests, and I would be written to, then in June I had an ECG, and a heart monitor fitted which proved the Atrial Fibrillations were frequent. I was then sent for a heart stress test, my blood pressure went right up so they could not do it. They wrote to my GP and said a stress test with drugs would be required, but I heard nothing.

Here we are in November, and still nothing has been done, except that my GP has advised warfarin to help prevent a stroke. I have not heard directly from the cardiologist, even though I wrote to him, and told him things were getting worse My GP wrote to him to in order to try and speed things up, but had no reply either.

I then had a attack in a local village, and needed help, which was given by the local pharmacist, I told the doctor, who got on to the cardiologist registrar's secretary, and she brought forward a routine appointment I had for late November.

What for I do not know, no tests have been carried out. I feel I am suffering in silence here, and not actually being evaluated or even less being treated by cardiology.