Heart patients in the South West get better emergency care

10:49am Tuesday 19th February 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Almost double the number of people in the South West are receiving emergency treatment within 60 minutes Almost twice the number of heart attack sufferers in the South West are receiving emergency care more quickly than they did four years ago.

In 2003, 33 per cent of patients received thrombolysis (an injection of a clot busting drug which if given within 60 minutes, drastically increases a patientís chance of survival) within 60 minutes of a call for help; in 2007 this increased to 63 per cent.

In addition, prescriptions for cholesterol-reducing statins have more than doubled in the South West over the last four years from 2.1 million in 2003 to 4.4 million in 2007.

These figures coincide with the publication of the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework Progress Report which highlights that the target for reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease for people under 75 by 40 per cent has been met by the Department of Health five years early.

Liz Redfern, Director of Patient Care and Nursing at NHS South West said: "This is a great achievement. These improvements to the treatment of heart disease have saved thousands of lives in the South West and I would like to thank all staff who worked so hard to make this possible."

There has been huge investment over the last few years in the treatment of Coronary Heart Disease in the region which has resulted in:

• A new cardiac intervention unit at Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

• The Bristol Health Institute and expanded cardiology facilities at United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust.
  
  
• A new purpose built South West cardiothoracic centre at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

• New facilities for the cardiology department at Musgrove Park Hospital.