East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust has announced plans to roll out a new heart failure service later this year, in an effort to support patients closer to home.
Developed by colleagues across the East and North Hertfordshire Health and Care partnership, the Integrated Heart Failure Service consists of 10 health, social and voluntary care organisations of which the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust is a partner.
The service is designed to monitor and manage patients living with heart failure closer to home, as well as facilitating earlier identification and diagnosis of the condition. Where required, the service will provide patients access to a consultant cardiologist at the trust, as well as specialist heart failure nurses working alongside community nurses, primary care colleagues and hospices.
The service will also utilise the new direct access echocardiogram pathway currently being offered through the Community Diagnostic Centre at the New QEII Hospital at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust.
Addressing cardiac-related conditions is a central focus of the NHS Long Term Plan and it is hoped the new service will form a key step in the delivering this ambition.
In other cardiology news, last year the NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) agreed proposals hoped to improve cardiology and ophthalmology services for the people of East Sussex.
We also looked at the launch of a new cardiology service at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in which diamonds are used to correct abnormal heart rhythms – known as arrythmia.
