Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Man waited a year to see consultant
AN ex-Dundee policeman who visited his GP with chest pains had to wait a year to see a consultant at Ninewells Hospital — who then told him he had suffered a heart attack.
Stuart Beharrie had an emergency appointment with his GP in December 2015 complaining of chest pains, but it wasn’t until December 2016 that he received any treatment and was told he’d had a heart attack and was likely living with heart disease.
As test results have yet to come back, Mr Beharrie (pictured right) is unable to secure health insurance, putting a summer holiday to Disneyland Paris with his granddaughter in doubt.
He said: “I just can’t believe it, and I know I’m not the only one in this position. I have now had all my tests but still not the results.”
The retired police officer received an ECG in 2015 and, despite good results, it was felt the symptoms warranted an echo cardiogram. A letter was sent from Ninewells offering an appointment for July 2016 — more than seven months after the GP asked for a referral.
The appointment was then cancelled and changed several times, and pushed back to August 2016. At the end of August, the 59-year-old returned to his GP to receive his results, where he was told he had damage to his systolic heart chamber and could have heart disease.
It wasn’t until December 12 2016 that Mr Beharrie finally saw a consultant, who told him he believed he’d had a heart attack.
A total of one year and six days had passed between Mr Beharrie being referred to Ninewells and meeting the consultant.
Mr Beharrie said: “I don’t know how seriously ill I am. I’ve been trying to get health insurance and as soon as I mention getting tests it’s an issue. The fact those results haven’t come back means I am not getting quotes from anyone.”
He met his consultant again last month and was asked to return in four months. However, that appointment has already been delayed until September.
Mr Beharrie added: “While I cannot fault any individual treatment, the timescale is totally unacceptable.”
He has written to health secretary Shona Robison to raise his concerns.
NHS Tayside’s associate medical director Dr Gavin Main said: “We are unable to comment on matters relating to individual patients. There is a national shortage of trained consultants.”