New 'Gold Standard' Heart equipment will help Save Lives
28/01/2004
Three new ultrasound machines each costing £33,000 are the latest weapons to help the county identify the early stages of heart failure and 'Save Lives'.
The mobile machines are part of continuing moves to develop a greater understanding of the health of individual patients by carrying out a greater number of investigations which examine the heart, rather than relying solely on signs and symptoms.
Previously patients seen by GPs and showing symptoms of heart failure had to be referred to consultant cardiologists for treatment, but since October 2003, they can now be 'fast tracked' to the new Primary Care 'Open Access' Echo Service which is available from nine sites across the county.
Annie MacCallum, Heart Failure Nurse Co-ordinator for West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust said:
"Heart failure is a lot more common than people think. With earlier investigation, treatment and care planning, the patients will hopefully live longer with a better quality of life."
"The new high tech echocardiography machines will help us greatly in providing more scans for more patients, more locally and to help identify the early stages of heart failure. As a result, the NHS is becoming even better placed to work with the patient to put a detailed care plan in place ensuring they have access to a wide range of services at the right time. "
"This new equipment will also help patients to have a greater input into management of their own health because so much more information about their condition will be available."
Following their scan, patients are now able to see GPs who are specially trained in heart failure and heart failure nurses who are then responsible for drawing up a care management plan to meet the individual needs of service users.
Although most UK city centre hospitals have the machines, Gloucestershire is the only place in the country where they are available county-wide. They display images of a patient's heart on a monitor so doctors can spot any problem signs early on.
