What's the best way to choose a cardiologist?

Healthwatch England’s Benedict Knox says:

Cardiologists are doctors specifically trained to look after people who have a range of different heart conditions. Seeing the right cardiologist will depend on what type of heart problem you have and what the cardiologist specialises in.

For example, some are interventional cardiologists (who insert stents or pacemakers) or electrophysiologists who investigate and treat heart rhythm disorders. Others may specialise in heart failure. Cardiologists don’t do heart bypass surgery or any other type of heart surgery where your chest is cut open – this is done by cardiac surgeons.

Some people are happy to go with whoever their GP refers them to, while others prefer to find out for themselves where they can receive the best treatment. You have the right to choose which hospital you are referred to and which clinical team within that hospital looks after you. If your GP doesn’t mention this and you do want to choose, you should bring it up with them.

You might want to discuss your options with your GP as a first step. If you want to do more research, the CQC website provides information about individual health and care services in England (though not individual consultants) and you can download an inspection report to find out about how different elements of a service have been rated.

• If you are in Scotland, visit Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• If you are in Wales, visit Healthcare Inspectorate Wales
• If you are in Northern Ireland, visit The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority

You can read hospital reviews written by patients at Care Opinion and the NHS website (search for ‘reviews’ and the name of the hospital). You can find information about interventional cardiologists throughout the UK at BCIS Patient Area, but the information is specifically about patients they have treated for a heart attack. You will be able to see how many angioplasty and stent procedures they have done and the outcomes, although it’s worth bearing in mind that the outcomes will be influenced by how sick their patients were.

Word of mouth can be useful, if you know anyone who has been treated from the same condition. You can also go onto online forums such as BHF HealthUnlocked, but keep in mind each person’s experience may vary. 

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