Our cardiology service is based over two wards:

We also provide appointments for GP referrals in outpatient clinics throughout the site. Contact information for an appointment will be provided through your appointment confirmation letter.

Our team is comprised of a Consultants, Specialty Doctors, a Heart Failure Specialist Nurse and an ACS Specialist Nurse.

People referred to our cardiology service benefit from the following services:

  • Acute Cardiology Care Unit (15 beds) where all acute cardiology patients are assessed before either discharge or further medical intervention, in which case they would be transferred to either Heart Care Unit or cardiac tertiary centres.
  • Heart Care Unit (20 beds) is for assessing and providing care for inpatients with heart failure and is also step-down for patients who have suffered heart attacks and are awaiting cardiac surgery.
  • Temporary and Permanent Pacemaker insertion: the Trust operates a 24-hour cover for temporary pacing and Brady pacing (250 procedures annually).
  • Trans Oesophageal Echocardiogram (a method of internal examination of the heart with a camera).
  • Dobutamine stress echocardiogram (cardiac stress test).
  • Stress myoperfusion scan (nuclear medicine test to determine narrowing of the arteries of the heart).
  • Cardioversion (Procedure to convert abnormal rhythm to normal rhythm using external electrical current).
  • Pericardiocentesis (Removing fluid from around the heart after infection or cancer treatment).
  • Outpatient clinics, including a post-acute coronary syndrome clinic. Patients visiting outpatient clinics follow a "one stop" approach where diagnostics will be undertaken during the visit enabling an immediate diagnosis to take place wherever possible.
  • Rapid access chest pains clinic: GPs can refer patients with certain categories of chest pain for a prompt assessment in this clinic. The anticipated waiting time to be reviewed in this clinic is up to 2 weeks from referral with patient-specific investigations to evaluate the cause of chest pain being subsequently organised.
  • Cardiac rehabilitation service attached to the Trust that provides a comprehensive counselling service, clinic and exercise programme.

 

Other services also provided in the Cardiology Respiratory Investigation Unit are:

  • Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram (DSE).
  • Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE).
  • Exercise Stress Echocardiogram (ESE).
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG).
  • 24- and 72-hour cardio-respiratory monitoring.