Cardiac care offered closer to our patients' homes
Patients in Burton and the surrounding areas are now benefitting from receiving cardiac care closer to home, another example of the benefits being provided to patients one year on from the creation of UHDB on 1 July 2018.
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), commonly referred to as a coronary angioplasty or stent insertion, has previously been carried out at hospitals in in other parts of the region for patients from South Derbyshire and Staffordshire, but these services are now available to them at the Royal Derby Hospital after the merger.
Since the service commenced in March 2019, 29 patients have already received the care they need closer to home, with 15 further patients booked in up until July 2019.
Dr Aftab Gill, Consultant Cardiologist at UHDB, said: “Patients feel more comfortable being treated closer to home. Coming to the Royal Derby is less intimidating than going to a hospital further away that they’re less familiar with.
“It’s less stressful for our patients as it can be a bit of a trek to get to these other hospitals for their appointments. When you consider that most people that have PCI procedures are more than 50-years-old, it can sometimes be difficult for them to get around. Some patients have had to stay in hotels the night before, which is not ideal.”
Dr Gill anticipates that the service will grow in Derby, but there will be further growth at Queen’s Hospital Burton in the coming months.
The Trust is currently applying for BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society) accreditation for the Burton site, meaning that interventional cardiology procedures will be able to take place at Queen’s Hospital, bringing care even closer to our patients.
Dr Gill added: “The service will grow at both Derby and Burton. This will increase our capacity even further and will mean that even more patients will be able to be treated closer to home. It will also mean that patients only need to have a single admission rather than coming to Burton for one part and then travelling to Derby for the procedure to take place.
There are also benefits to the Trust, as these developments are also aiding recruitment in a variety of positions in the cardiology team.
Dr Gill explained: “This would also have benefits in terms of recruitment as it will mean that we can attract more nurses, technicians and other specialist positions, and it will also be a boost for the reputation of the Trust and Queen’s Hospital Burton.
“It’s also good to be able to say to those who are thinking of applying for roles that we carry out the procedures here in the Trust rather than elsewhere.”