"My husband is only 51, and I'm worried I will lose him before Stepping Hill treat him"

My husband is only in his early fifties and has had two heart attacks, 5 graft heart by-pass.

He was in Stepping Hill last year, diagnosed with bradacardia, heart rhythm going very slow.

The doctor he saw last year said they would send my husband for a nuclear scan so we waited and waited. My husband got worse, no scan.

So in March this year we finally got to see Consultant at Stepping Hill, they said they had no notes for his hospital visits in the previous year and he was admitted on to a ward. How bad is that?

The consultant then sent my husband for a scan. 3 weeks later my husband was getting worse - heart rate 36, dizzy, tired, very poorly. Still no results.

I then phoned the Consultants Secretary, and they faxed the scan results to my husband's doctor. He was seen a week ago, and was not very well so GP asked my husband to return to see him in early April.

Immediatly I sent my husband to Stepping Hill regarding his heart rate being 36 and chest pain constantly. We saw the triage nurse, who basically asked us why we have come down here, and that all GPs are sending patients down to Stepping Hill when they should be altering the patient's medication. They told my husband his heart rate was now 72, then did it again and it had dropped to 36.

My husband was very upset and worried. We found the nurse very rude, and we felt they didn't care at all about my husband's situation. They advised that we 'just go home' as my husband would not see a cardiologist over the weekend and it was up to our GP to deal with my husband's condition.

I told the nurse he couldn't get it under control. Firstly, the nurse said we could wait and be checked if we wanted but it would be 4 hours, then they changed it to 1 hour after leaving the room and consulting a on call GP.

I was not happy with the outcome of this service we recived at Stepping Hill A&E at all. After this, the senior nurse was very nice. They got a doctor to examine my husband, the doctor said my husband was a very poorly man, and they wanted to admit him then but only becuase I'd insisted they check him out.

We came home, my husband is very poorly in bed waiting for a Consultants appointment. Will he get this before he goes to sleep and doesnt wake up like the doctor told us in Stepping Hill?

I'm so worried, I have no faith in my husband getting the treatment he needs.

Spare a thought for all the people you didn't show consideration for on that Friday evening, as our lives are turned upside down but you didn't seem to give a damn.

My husband is only 51. Please help, I don't know what to do.