Some people mighty remember that when I was on holiday in Wales in June I had an episode with my heart - AF and bad chest pain. I rang for help and finished up in A&E for about 14 hours. After various tests, ECGs etc, they sent me off home - I had to get as taxi to my holiday accommodation. They said that I had oesophageal spasm, in spite of me having explained to them that a recent exercise test had demonstrated ischaemic heart disease. And I had raised heart enzymes on the blood tests.
A few weeks later I was in hospital here at home with a blocked coronary artery that needed treating with a stent.
I got in touch with the Welsh health board and said that I did not wish to make a complaint but felt that there had been some significant errors in my treatment that could be a problem for others. In fact I had to formulate it as a complaint as there is no other way of doing this.
I have just received a very long letter outlining the admitted errors with several apologies, but most importantly letting me know what they had done about it. The protocols for people presenting with chest pain have been reviewed and updated and training has taken place for all staff, using my case as an example.
I am really quite impressed by this and hope that someone else's life might be saved.
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