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Heart clinic run by award-winning nurse transforms service

19 May 2005

A clinic at Addenbrooke's Hospital run by an award-winning nurse to treat irregular heart rhythm has been transforming the cardioversion service, eliminating waiting times and providing a personal service for its patients. The good work has been recognised by the British Heart Foundation, who recently presented Nick Mills, Cardiology Specialist Nurse, who leads the clinic, with their first ever 'Excellence Award'.

Speaking about the changes he has helped to implement, Nick said: "The clinic now provides patients with continuity, stability, flexibility, and we have had a steady flow of complimentary letters and emails since we started the improved service."

The Cardioversion Clinic assesses patients with irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation, before treatment. Cardioversion is a procedure used to restore the heartbeat to normal rhythm using a defibrillator, and is performed under general anaesthetic in the hospital's day surgery unit. The treatment briefly interrupts the electrical activity of the heart using a controlled electrical shock which encourages the heart to return to its normal rhythm.

A review of the hospital's Cardioversion Clinic had found that around 50 patients would be waiting for an average of 18 weeks for their appointment, and sometimes wasted time in hospital waiting for the results of blood tests. Nick Mills was brought in to manage the service, with the aim of improving the patient experience.

Now patients' blood results are monitored by Nick until they are ready to come to a pre-assessment (before treatment) appointment where an ECG and blood tests are carried out, and Nick spends time talking patients through the condition and the treatment. Cardioversion is carried out a few days later, where patients meet Nick again and are discharged only four hours later. Now there is no waiting list as patients are given a projected date for treatment as soon as they are referred to Nick.

Their wait for treatment simply depends on producing four stable blood results to ensure that cardioversion can be carried out safely.

Nick continued: "As well as eliminating waiting times, because the clinic is nurse-led doctors' time is freed up so they can spend more time on the ward. I have time to talk patients through the procedure so they feel more at ease, and they see a familiar face before treatment so they are not so daunted on the day."

Nick has been presented with £1,000 by the British Heart Foundation for his 'Excellence Award' to spend on his professional development. He is planning to buy a laptop computer and is hoping that he will have some spare cash to help towards developing the service even further.

British Heart Foundation Associate Medical Director, Professor Jeremy Pearson, said: “We have a huge amount of respect for the work that nurses and allied health professionals carry out in caring for people who are living with heart disease. The Excellence Awards is our way of acknowledging and showcasing the enormous contribution these specialists make to the lives of those with heart conditions.”

The judges said Nick won the award for “the contribution he makes to improving the experience of patients requiring cardioversion in Addenbrooke’s Hospital”.

Notes to editors

• There are two more opportunities to win a British Heart Foundation Excellence Award this year and entries are welcomed. No idea for the awards is too big or too small – for instance, in many instances simple, small changes in daily procedure can have a massive impact on the quality of patient care. As well as the cash award, the winners will be showcased on the BHF website as examples of excellent healthcare practice.

• The next closing date is 29 July and then the final date is 21 October. For further information and to download an application form, visit the BHF website at bhf.org.uk/excellence. Alternatively, email Judy O’Sullivan at osullivanj@bhf.org.uk or contact her on 020 7725 0654.

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