Our cardiology patients are now benefitting from a  “consultant of the week” model  and increased accessibility to day case treatments as a result of us reconfiguring the service onto a single site.

Back in the winter of 2017 we centred cardiology care (at CRH) as well as respiratory (CRH) and elderly care (HRI) as part of our Medical Services reconfiguration. Last week we featured our teams providing elderly care and this week the focus is on cardiology reconfiguration.

For cardiology it means the new Seven-Day model of care which allows for better continuity of care with the same consultant providing care seven days a week including weekends.

This extra continuity of patient care has also been reflected in a reduction in length of stay for our cardiology patients.

This has meant we have been able to reduce to eight cardiology beds allowing us to develop a cardiology day case unit instead. 

Acute consultant, Dr Purav Desai, explains the benefits to our patients. He said: “ We are now delivering increased day case activity and all device lists have been moved to a morning session which allows patient to have an implantation and be discharged the same day.”

Also, following the reconfiguration, we have recruited a heart failure specialist nurse to support our patients in community following a heart attack.

In terms of technology advances, implementation of a digital electrogram (ECG) management system means ECG carts are now fully integrated with the EPR. This has improved the efficiency of requesting ECGs and enabled immediate availability of digital ECG test results for clinical review.

Dr Rob Moisey, clinical lead for the division, has drawn up a report looking back at our decision to  reconfigure our Medical Services, how it was achieved and the benefits since for our patients and our staff.

He said it had only been achieved due to huge commitment - and leadership – from our amongst  our teams during a very challenging winter of 2017/18. Here's some of the team on 6c.

Improving patient care was the priority and the decision followed recommendations from the Royal College of Physicians.

** Last week we profiled the Elderly Care at HRI and next week, in the third and final instalment of our look back at Medical Services Reconfiguration,  we profile the new respiratory unit.