The Christmas and New Year break is the peak time for heart attacks and cardiac problems*. What's more, people may initially shrug off cardiac symptoms such as chest pain as being indigestion, and be reluctant to spend unnecessary time in a hospital’s A&E department, because it may disrupt family gatherings or travel plans.
But Broomwell HealthWatch and NHS North West say that access to a 5-minute heart test in local GP surgeries, walk-in and medical centres will mean earlier diagnosis of heart incidents, saving many lives and reducing the pressure on overstretched hospitals during the festive period.
The award-winning telemedical ECG technology from Broomwell HealthWatch give people an accurate heart check-up by telephone in minutes. It is already in use at over 100 surgeries and health centres in Greater Manchester, with more surgeries taking on the technology in coming months.
'The ECG test is proven to save lives and reduce hospital admissions by giving an accurate, early diagnosis following symptoms of chest pain. In an NHS pilot earlier this year, 82% of patients having the Broomwell ECG test were dealt with in the surgery setting without the need for any further referral. This also gives rapid reassurance for those who are merely suffering from seasonal overindulgence. Data from the latest trials in Greater Manchester & Cheshire show that without the Broomwell service, 57% of those would have been referred to hospital (A&E or Outpatients)
Joe Rafferty, NHS North West director of Commissioning and Strategy said: “Heart incidents are more common during the holiday season, but people may put off getting a medical diagnosis because they worry about travelling to hospitals and having to wait for tests and results. Telemedical ECG tests in local surgeries and health centres overcome these worries, and help identify those people that urgently need cardiac care – and reassure those that don’t. As well as helping save lives, the tests reduce the burden of cardiac ‘false alarms’ on hospitals. We are pleased to be pioneering the widespread use of this innovative technology within our region.”
The six-month pilot of Broomwell’s service by NHS North West showed the potential to save 90,000 A&E visits, 45,000 hospital admissions and hundreds of lives each year in England. NHS savings by cutting unnecessary hospital admissions and A&E visits for symptoms of chest pain were £46M per year.
Joshua Rowe, CEO of Broomwell HealthWatch said: “This service is great for patients because of its convenience and speed, and great for the NHS because it cuts costs and frees up resources. This is especially important during the holiday season, when hospital and A&E admissions can increase.”
Reasons for the increase in cardiac symptoms over Christmas include:
· People forgetting to take their medications because they are travelling, or running out when away from home
· Excess alcohol makes the heart work harder to get blood to peripheral arteries.
· "Holiday heart syndrome," where alcohol irritates the heart muscle and triggers an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
· Cold weather can constrict blood vessels, and the winter rise in respiratory diseases further stresses the heart
* British Heart Foundation
How the BroomWell Healthwatch telemedicine ECG service works
Broomwell Healthwatch gives GPs and other healthcare professionals access to immediate, expert interpretation of ECGs by experienced cardiology-trained clinicians. Broomwell’
Based on the high-quality ECG trace, Broomwell staff give an immediate verbal interpretation by phone so that action can be taken quickly, if needed. A full written ECG report is also sent to the GP surgery by email or fax for inclusion in the patient record. Because constant communication with the patient’s doctor, nurse or paramedic is maintained during the test, the quality of patient care is high.
Broomwell’s telemedical ECG service won the 2007 HSJ award for Improving Care with E-Technology together with NHS North West.
