Cardiology
Welcome to the Cardiology Department.
The information within these pages is designed to give you a useful summary of the specialty, the services we offer, where they are located and how to contact us.
The Cardiology Department is a regional referral centre for cardiology and cardiothoracic care. The department has a Heart Attack Centre and Wards 76a and 76b also have coronary care facilities for both invasive and non-invasive cardiac investigations.
The department is located immediately next to the London Road entrance (A34) on the City General hospital site and is marked on the map by the letter 'A'. Pay and display car parking for visitors is located immediately behind the unit.
The Heart Attack Centre
This is the receiving area for patients being delivered to the hospital suffering with acute chest pain. It is specifically designed to care for patients with acute coronary syndrome (heart attack or unstable angina).
The unit is staffed by trained chest pain nurses and cardiac nursing staff who work alongside the on-call cardiac team.
The Coronary Care Unit/Ward 76
The hospital admits over 1000 patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) each year into a Coronary Care Unit.
The Coronary Care Unit/Acute Cardiology ward has 57 beds and the unit is staffed by highly skilled cardiac nurses who work alognside cardiology medical personnel.
Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories
The department has three cardiac catheter laboratories equipped with dedicated imaging equipment. This is where invasive cardiac procedures are undertaken.
The level of activity within the laboratories continues to expand year upon year. Diagnostic coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, diagnostic and therapeutic electrophysiology procedures, permanent pacemaker and implantable defibrillator implantation are all performed.
Other procedures conducted include alcoholic septal reduction for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects and patent foramena ovale, as well as balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Patient and visitor access to the catheter lab suite is via the main cardiac reception.
Echocardiography
Echocardiograhpy is ultrasound examination of the heart. It is a non-invasive test. The echocardiography department is one of the busiest within cardiology. The majority of the work is carried out by skilled cardiac technicians, all with British Society of Echocardiography accreditation. Additional support from cardiology specialist registrars is also given.
In addition to transthoracic echo we perform transoesophageal studies, dobutamine stress echo and 3D echo reconstruction within the unit. The facilities are predominantly based within the main department at the City General hospital, but facilities are also available at the central outpatient department. The cardiothoracic unit is based on the Royal Infirmary site. The main echo department is accessed via the cardiac reception.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR)
This is an active and expanding programme which takes place in partnership with the Trust’s Imaging Directorate. The MRI scanner is located in the main radiology department at the City General Hospital.
Exercise Testing
The Directorate has successfully introduced exercise testing, and a number of medically supervised tests are being performed. Exercise testing facilities are based both in the cardiology department and the out-patient department.
Ambulatory Electrocardiography
Ambulatory electrocardiography (out-patient monitoring of heart rhythmn) is run from the main cardiology department. 24 hour and 48 hour continuous holter monitoring as well as Recollect ECG loop recording systems are utilised. Access for patients is via the main reception.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Service
There is a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programme run by a Rehabilitation Co-ordinator. Rehabilitation invovles supervised exercise in a fully equipped gymnasium by an exercise physiologist. There is also a series of counselling and education sessions.
The service provides a comprehensive support and follow up programme for patients recovering from a heart attack, as well as for post-surgical patients.
Tertiary heart failure
We provide a nurse led out-patient based heart failure service, to provide support and close follow up. This service has robust consultant support and works in close collaboration with primary care colleagues. There is a weekly rapid access heart failure clinic for GP referrals and an established multidisciplinary heart failure team.
Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic (RACPC)
We run seven RACP clinics per week. These are staffed by skilled chest pain nurse specialists, specialist registrars and foundation doctors, as well as being supported by the on-call consultant of the week.
The clinics are open to GP referrals in order to assess stable patients reporting chest pain. Patients are seen within two weeks of the referral. Those who attend undergo both a clinical assessment as well as a treadmill exercise test (where able).
How to contact the Cardiology Directorate
The Cardiology Directorate can be contacted by telephoning the main hospital switchboard number - 01782 715444 and then asking for the following extension numbers:
Ext 2353 Cardiology reception
Ext 2060 Ward 76
Ext 2340 Queries about exercise testing, echocardiogram and heart monitor appointments
Ext 2354 Catheter laboratory recovery
Ext 3225 Cardiac rehabilitation
Ext 2348 Pacemaker queries