New nurse-led heart treatment up for national award
A service that ensures quicker treatment for patients with irregular heart rhythms has been shortlisted for a national award.
The Direct Current (DC) Cardioversion service at the world-renowned Essex Cardiothoracic Centre (CTC) at Basildon Hospital has been shortlisted for the Medicines, Pharmacy and Prescribing Initiative of the Year award at this year’s Health Service Journal awards, jointly with Barts Health Centre.
Patients suffering from irregular heartbeats - whose condition can’t be managed with medication - are offered this procedure which involves electrically shocking their heart back into a normal rhythm.
The procedure takes only 20 minutes, which improves their experience and recovery time. Patients would normally have to have surgery and be treated under general anaesthetic, and they would take time to recover and return home.
Now, thanks to trials of a new sedative drug, Remimazolam, patients recover much more quickly after their surgery and can go home within an hour. It is also provided by nurses as well as anaesthetists, meaning more procedures can take place.
Dr Anirudda Pai, Consultant Cardiac Anaesthetist who ran the trial at the CTC, said: “For patients needing DC cardioversion treatment, this new drug means that we can treat potentially up to 50% more patients per day than we were able to before, which could significantly reduce waiting times.”
Ellie Gudde, Head of Nursing at the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre and the Trust's Cardiology team, said: “We’re extremely proud to be shortlisted. Being able to see more patients means shorter waiting times and a better overall hospital experience as they can go home much quicker. It also reduces the pressure on hospital beds, so that more beds are available for those who most need them.”
The award winners will be announced in November.