Cardiology - Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

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3. Why reorganise cardiology services now?The formation of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust provides an opportunity tobuild on the current high quality tertiary cardiology services, ensuring that patientsare consistently treated by the right person, in the right place, at the right time.Specifically, the way specialties have developed in Belfast has resulted in afragmented system, with cardiologists that practise the same sub-specialty anddelivering the same service not based on the same site. Tertiary services arecurrently safe and highly effective in both the Belfast City Hospital and the RoyalHospitals however there are reasons to change in order to further improveeffectiveness.Meet Public Expectation for Improved Service QualityIn line with the Trust principle to „localise where possible, centralise wherenecessary‟ the aim of tertiary cardiology services is to deliver safe, effective andsustainable services into the future. In order to ensure that the public expectation foraccess to modern, efficient services is achieved there needs to be ongoing review ofhow and where services are provided. The ability to provide an improved quality ofservice in tertiary cardiology services will be enhanced by providing services fromone location facilitating further development of sub-specialties.Drive Forward Service ModernisationAs treatment techniques and skills are developed there will be an increase in thenumber of patients treated as day cases and as outpatients. In addition, theincreased use of pre-assessment clinics, admission on the day of procedurecombined with reduced lengths of stay will result in a decrease in demand forinpatient facilities. The tertiary cardiology service is embracing these changes, forexample, taking actions to deliver increased days cases in Percutaneous CoronaryIntervention. Locating these services together better facilitates best practice andmodernisation throughout the clinical team.The Priorities for Action (PfA) 2010/11 document sets out the key priorities for Healthand Social Care services as identified by the Minister for Health and Social Servicesand Public Safety. It states:“In meeting all challenges faced by the service, the primary issue is how health andsocial care services are best configured to respond safely and effectively to theemerging needs of the individuals and populations they serve. As those needs andthe technology to meet those needs develop, it may be right to provide someservices on single sites. Whilst other services may continue to be provided at localhospitals, the goal must be to ensure that the services provided are safe and of ahigh quality, delivering effective outcomes for patients.”Page 14 of 30
Address Current Duplication and Service EfficiencyTertiary cardiology services are currently duplicated, having developed across twohospitals within Belfast. Locating tertiary cardiology services together will enable thespecialty to maximise outcomes and resources and reduce any inefficiencies asthere will be reduced duplication of services, equipment and overhead costs.Act on Staff SupportClinical teams across the range of split-site specialties believe that there arepotentially significant benefits in bringing specialties together in the same hospital toform dedicated specialist units, for example, ensuring the development of subspecialistservices, flexibility in developing staff rotas, easier access to specialistnursing and other limited resources, improving team working and quality of service tothe patient.Improved Clinical LinkagesPatients who access tertiary cardiology services may need to interface with otherservices, such as:Vascular surgery and Cardiac surgeryPatients with cardiovascular disease often require treatment from a range ofspecialists. These specialists either work together to treat complex problems or morecommonly manage a patient with a range of organs affected by cardiovasculardisease. As part of Excellence and Choice, it is proposed that vascular serviceswould also be based at the Royal Hospitals while cardiac surgery is already based atthe Royal Hospitals. This creates the potential for a „cardiovascular centre‟ at theRoyal Hospitals and provides the best possible service for patients whether theirprimary condition is cardiac or vascular in nature as clinicians are in close proximityto plan patient‟s care in a holistic nature.Radiology servicesPatients of the tertiary cardiology service require radiology services as part of theirdiagnosis and treatment. Both the Belfast City Hospital and Royal Hospitals deliverthese radiology services and will continue to provide a service to patients from bothhospitals by making best use of the equipment and expertise of each hospital.Page 15 of 30
Page 4: We want to do all of this to ensure
Page 7 and 8: Table 1 - Tertiary Cardiology Servi
Page 9: Provide clear directions to service
Page 12 and 13: - Insertion of pacemakerPacemakers
Page 16 and 17: Trauma servicesTrauma services deal
Page 18 and 19: Royal Hospitals as the centre for m
Page 20 and 21: will not increase but this total vo
Page 22 and 23: 5. What would this mean for patient
Page 24 and 25: 6. WorkforceThe Trust would put in
Page 26 and 27: Appendix 1 - Programme of Consultat
Page 28 and 29: Appendix 2 - Equality and Human Rig
Page 30: Appendix 3 - GlossaryGlossary of ab

Cardiology - Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

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