In this retrospective analysis, records were examined from 1375 patients attending six ambulatory care clinics in England who were appropriate candidates for investigation by coronary angiography, to determine whether they received the angiogram or not. Overall, 69% of patients deemed appropriate for angiography did not receive it. According to multivariate analyses, patients who were aged >64 years, were women, of south-Asian origin and were in the most deprived fifth of the population were less likely to receive coronary angiography than those who were aged <50 years, were men, were white, or were living in the other four fifths. Not undergoing angiography when it was deemed appropriate was associated with higher rates of coronary event.
