One Patient’s Cardiology Treatment in Herts Mar-May 2026
Cardiology Experience
March to May 2026 Male Age 74 No previous heart issues.
Primary Care
24/3/26 e-consult urgent appointment – completed form at 8:30am, face to face at 9:30. Diagnosed AFib and did ECG. Urgent 2 week referral to heart failure clinic. Put on beta blocker.
30/3/26 requested urgent appointment via e-consult about 2pm – He had passed out and hit head. Called by surgery at 2:30 and telephone consultation at 3:30. Advised to stop beta blocker and to monitor head injury for any further symptoms.
In the meantime, swam 20 laps and played pickle ball
Secondary Care
9/4/26 Cardiac Centre appointment – Echocardiagram
Diagnosed heart failure at 35-40% and confirmed Atrial Flutter. Put back on beta blocker, Ramapril for blood pressure, Apixaban as blood thinner. Also taking tamulosin and thyroid medication.
Appointment for blood tests and holter monitor (72 hours) for 1 May
Holter monitor data lost? Wrong blood tests done per Cardiac centre visit on 11 May?
Ablation arranged for 28 May.
Next two weeks – Feeling worse and worse and he was unable to get any answer on the cardiac centre phone number.
8/5/26 Desperate to speak to someone, he went into the cardiac unit at Hemel to ask whether or not he had the right phone number. He was given a number for a secretary at the Cardiac centre, Watford (not the Secretary for his nurse specialist as she didn’t work Fridays) who said she would make sure that the Cardiac Specialist nurse called him on Monday.
11/5/26 Cardiac nurse called at 9:30 and offered him an appointment at 2:30 that day. Attended appointment and after an ECG he was told to go to the Emergency Dept. immediately.
11/5 to 15/5 In Watford hospital with ablation done on the 14th May. Stayed overnight and discharged on the Friday. Absolutely fine after that.
Discharge Information for Patient
Given an appointment in 3 months for a check up.
Given an appointment for a 24 hour holter monitor and blood tests in a month.
Very little other written information. He was advised to take action regarding excessive bleeding from the catheter wound site and to go to A&E or call NHS 111 should he experience any chest pain/palpitations or becomes generally unwell.
Without any written information, he is not clear about what else he was told.
No one ever mentioned a ‘blanking period’ which seems to be common where you can have some palpitations after an ablation.
He was called by Herts Help the next day to see if needed any help.
Digital Information from a number of places
Four different sources
1. NHS App
2. WHTHT patient portal
3. Imperial patient portal
4. Concentric Health (consent portal?)