Open access echocardiogram
Definition/Description
- This is a physiologist led service at York Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust.
- On receipt of a completed referral letter via the RSS with ECG attached, the patient will be contacted by letter for a scan within 6 weeks.
- The report will be returned to the referring GP within 1 week of the investigation with advice about cardiology follow up.
- Only patients deemed to be significantly symptomatic or having severe abnormalities will be directly referred to the consultant cardiologist
Red Flag Symptoms
Exclude the following
- People already under cardiology follow up in Secondary Care.
- People with symptoms of heart failure with a murmur or with AF, should be referred through the heart failure pathway
Guidelines on Management
None provided
Referral Criteria/Information
Referral Criteria
- New murmurs in people over 16yrs
- Murmurs identified in pregnancy please state the duration of pregnancy in the referral
- People with a family history in a first relative of congenital heart disease and with a murmur
- People with a family history in a first degree relative of cardiomyopathy please state which type in the referral letter (Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy HOCM <40 years every 4 years, Dilated Cardiomyopathy DCM <50 years every 4 years)
- People with AF in whom there is a strong suspicion of structural heart disease (a murmur) should be given warfarin for anticoagulation. Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) should not be used for this condition; they are not licensed for this indication.
- Younger people (<60) with AF in whom a structural problem will raise thromboembolic risk to a level where anticoagulation is required
Information to include in the referral letter (there is no specific referral form for this pathway)
- Please attach a recent ECG
- Please ensure that you have clearly identified the reason for the referral in the letter
- Send through the RSS for booking into York Hospital Foundation Trust eReferrals The service is listed under Specialty Diagnostic Physiological Measurement; Echocardiography Service
Additional Resources & Reference
Patient Information Leaflet / PDAs
Associated Policies
There are no associated policies.
Specialties
Places covered by
- Vale of York
Hospital Trusts
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals
Date created: 27/08/2025, 12:53
Last modified: 28/08/2025, 10:30
Date of review: 9/30/24