A HOSPITAL trust has apologised after patients were found to have had ‘unacceptably’ long waits for the results of heart assessments.

Russ McLean, East Lancashire’s patients’ champion, said several concerned people had contacted him about delays in them receiving the results of 24-hours electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring assessments.

One patient had to wait as long as two months to receive their results, while another had to be hospitalised as a result of the delay, according to Mr McLean.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT), who have cardiology units at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and Burnley General Teaching Hospital, has said sorry for the ‘longer than acceptable wait’.

They said they took ‘immediate action’ to resolve the problem and 24-hour ECGs are now being reported on no later than one week of the best carried out.

An ECG is a simple test that can be used to check a patient's heart's rhythm and electrical activity.

Mr McLean, who is the chair of the Lancashire Pennine said the delay ‘could have cost lives’.

He said: “The patients have contacted me regarding the fact they have had to wait longer than expected for 24-hour ECG monitoring.

“They had to wait a significant amount of time for the results, one waited as long as two months, which I think is unacceptable.

“While another with a suspected heart condition had to be hospitalised as a result of the wait.

“This is worrying for the patients, as unless you have the results, this can hold the process up of having an operation or medications prescribed by a GP.”

He said he had raised the issues with the trust’s medical director Damian Riley, who told him there had been a ‘backlog’ of cases but that this had now been addressed.

Mr McLean added: “I’m pleased that this has been addressed, as these delays in patients getting results could potentially cost lives. Patients shouldn’t have to wait longer than seven to ten days.”

Pam Braham, interim business manager for Cardiology, Diabetes and Endocrinology at ELHT, said: “Trust patients recently had a longer than acceptable wait for the reporting of their 24-hour ECG tests.

“We took immediate action to resolve the problem and 24-hour ECGs are now being reported on no later than one week of the test being carried out.

“We’d like to thank affected patients for their understanding and apologise for the inconvenience caused.”