"Echocardiagram appointment"

While I was an inpatient in the cardiac ward, having been admitted with a fast heart rate, I went for an echocardiogram. Unfortunately, as I am disabled, I need help to get onto the bed and also help in turning on to my left side. The technician could not help me owing to health and safety procedures! Having struggled on to the bed and turning over on to my left side my heart rate was going extremely fast so a successful echocardiogram was not achieved.

I then received an outpatient appt. for an echocardiogram. Before attending I telephoned the department to explain my problems. The Friday before I was due to attend I received a telephone call from a member of staff who assured me that there would be two technicians to help me. I duly arrived for my appt. and was taken to the examination room. As she was on her own I mentioned my telephone calls. To which she replied, "For health and safety reasons we cannot help. " Under duress she helped me with putting my legs on the bed, but said that the test could be done with me lying on my back. She put the machine on straight away, and commented that my heart was beating fast. I replied that I had just used a great deal of effort to get on the bed even with a little help so it was not surprising that my heart rate was fast.

At this moment I do not know if the result will be acceptable.

My worry for the future is that every time I attend for an echocardiogram the same will happen, and I will never get a correct result. This has a knock on effect as I cannot be placed on the waiting list for a knee replacement without a diagnosis.

There must be many elderly people who have difficulty getting around even without a disability - they also will never get a proper result. My husband is a paraplegic and I cannot walk very far so I also use a motorised wheelchair. Do I ask my husband to come into the examination room and from his wheelchair lift my legs on to the bed?

On the plus side I was seen on time.

I look for your comments, and let me know how I can overcome this difficulty as I am sure that I shall need more echocardiograms in the future - I am 72 years of age.