I had my aortic valve replaced by a tissue one in May 2012. Initially I had six monthly echocardiograms and then annual ones. After the September 2018 one I questioned the locum cardiologist on the results of the echo and he said that my pulmonary hypertension had increased over the past year from 32 mmHc to 49 mmHc. I had seen him for the past three years and he had not mentioned it as a problem before. My GP had also not been informed of it. The locum said that he would see me again in six months but at that appointment in May he said he could not add anything to last year’s discussion as I had not had another Echo and he would see me again after it. Not having had an appointment date after this Septembers Echo I phoned to inquire. After the usual hospital run arounds I was eventually surprisingly told that as valves are only expected to last for ten years that they stop doing echocardiograms after seven years and that you are then handed over to a nurse at the Echo Valve Clinic and that I will get an appointment with her next year instead of an Echo. I was also told that since 2013 they have not sent full reports of Echocardiograms to GP’s just a note with any significant changes. Have any other NHS patients been told this? I have the details of for the Valve Clinic nurse who I will phone tomorrow as she is only there for 2 ½ days a week and will see my GP about it when he returns from holiday. I also see a nephrologist at the hypertension clinic at another hospital who is dubious as to the cause of the pulmonary hypertension or if I indeed have it. I was told after one echo by the head person doing it that valves are now lasting twelve years plus and being 85 my heart will not get as much action as that of a younger person.