The James Paget has been chosen to pilot a new type of clinic to help heart patients access care more quickly.
Our hospital is one of just 14 sites nationwide selected by the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) to run scientist-led clinics in valve disease, heart failure and inherited cardiac conditions.
BSE leaders were ‘overwhelmed’ with the number and quality of applications to become one of the pilot sites – and selected the Paget after being impressed with an application made by Chief Cardiac Physiologist Sarah Butcher.
Sarah specialises in Echocardiography (or a cardiac ultrasound) a diagnostic test that uses sound waves to produce real-time, moving images of the heart, allowing clinicians to see how well it is functioning.
The BSE will now fund Sarah to run a clinic focussed on patients with heart valve disease, as well as receiving enhanced clinical skills training and theory at a university.
It will be the first time that a clinic dedicated to heart valve diagnostics has been run at the Paget, creating extra capacity for patients.
“It’s really exciting news – and a great opportunity,” said Sarah, who has worked at the James Paget for more than 20 years.
“The new clinic will help to reduce waiting times for a group of our cardiac patients – and will improve efficiency.
“Currently, many of our returning patients need separate appointments for diagnostics and then a review of the results with a consultant.
“With the new clinic, I will be able to scan and review results with the patient in one appointment – and only refer on those more complex cases that need a further appointment with a cardiologist.”
The introduction of the new clinic is timely as the Trust is also developing a new NHS England-funded rapid valve assessment service, run by Professor Vassilios Vassiliou who is honorary Consultant Cardiologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and a national expert in cardiac valve disease. The aim is to have the two clinics working alongside each other, for the benefit of patients.
Sarah was assisted in her application by James Paget Consultant Cardiologist Dr Sunil Nair and Senior Chief Cardiac Physiologist Ruth Mixer.
The pilot clinics will run for a year, during which time they will be evaluated for their clinical effectiveness, patient satisfaction and operational efficiency, with the aim of establishing a standard model and agreed clinical practice for further clinics nationwide.