FOR ALL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS,

BUT ESPECIALLY PRIMARY CARE

PRIMARY CARE CARDIOVASCULAR SOCIETY / ARRHYTHMIA ALLIANCE /

SOUTH EAST WALES CARDIAC NETWORK MEETING

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN PRIMARY CARE – achieving best practice

WEDNESDAY 19 MAY 2010, HOLIDAY INN HOTEL, CARDIFF CITY CENTRE

Don’t miss the 3rd annual PCCS/AA/SEWCN meeting on 19th May. A full day at no cost with leading practitioners covering current issues in the prevention, diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease including:

  • The New Primary and Community Services StrategyDr C D V Jones
  • Can Primary Care Manage all cardiovascular conditions?Dr Anthony Davies
  • Should patient groups play a more prominent role in the managementDr Dai Williams

cardiac patients

  • Are you getting the best cardiac rehabilitation for your patientsSuzanne Indge/

Dr Jackie Austin

  • Investigation of Palpitations and Management of regular tachycardiasDr Mark Anderson
  • Management of Patients with recurrent loss of consciousnessDr Peter O’Callaghan

A copy of theProgrammeand Registration Form is available from the Network website ( ) or by contacting Claire Lewis.

Completed registration forms should be e-mailed to PCCS at .

Claire Lewis029 2019

Welcome to the seventhissue of the South East Wales Cardiac Network e-newsletter.

This issue is also available on the Network intranet/internet websites at

and

In this issue:Page:

New Network Lead Cardiologist 2

Jan Williams, New Chair of SEWCN 2

What’s new on SEWCN Websites 2

Beta Blocker Guidelines for GPs 3

Primary Care CPET Training 3

BHF/SEWCN Chest Pain Awareness Project 3

Improving Cardiology Referrals from Primary Care to Secondary Care 3

BNP Testing in Primary Care 3

BHF Hearty Lives Project 3

Arrhythmia Alliance Excellence in Practice Awards 2009 4

Heart Failure Update 4

Cardiac Rehabilitation Update 4

Adults with Congenital Heart Disease Update 4

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Update 5

Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging 5

Primary PCI 5

Reducing Inequity: Improving Effectiveness Conference – 30th March 2010 5

Publications

NICE Guidance on Chest Pain of Recent Onset 5

NICE Guidance on Unstable Angina and NSTEMI 5

The Future Delivery of Diagnostic Imaging Services in Wales 5

National Diagnostic Imaging Framework 5

NICE E-Newsletter – April 2010 5

Arrhythmia Alliance E-Bulletin – April 2010 5

British Heart Foundation E-Newsletter 5

Meetings:

SEWCN Meeting Dates 5

Contact Details

Network Contact Details 5

New Network Lead Cardiologist

Our congratulations to Dr Liam Penny, who has been elected the President of the Wales Cardiovascular Society. Unfortunately this means that Liam will be standing down as the Network Lead Cardiologist after six years of valuable service. Once the future structure and function of Networks has been clarified by the Assembly we will advertise the post. Meanwhile the Network is seeking to replace Liam on an interim secondment basis for up to 2 paid sessions per week. Anyone interested is asked to contact Sue Wilshere, Network Manager or Liam Penny.

Sue Wilshere029 2019

Jan Williams, New Chair of SEWCN

Jan Williams, Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has been confirmed as the new Chair of SEWCN. The next Network Board Meeting will take place on Friday 25th June at 2.00 pm.

Sue Wilshere029 2019

What’s new on SEWCN Websites

Intranet: (Internet: )

The sites are regularly updated. Latest information includes the Audit of Angiography Procedures 2009, and Network agreed Guidelines for the Referral of patients from General Physicians to heart failure teams in hospital

The number of hits from 1st January 2010to date are 1715 on the internet site and 228 on the intranet site.

Claire Lewis029 2019

Beta-Blocker Guidelines for GPs

Following a query from a GP onchanging beta blocker prescriptions for patients with heart failure, the Network has developed Guidelines. These are being circulated to all GPs and are available on the Network website.

Trudi Phillips01443 443443 ext

Primary Care CPET Sessions

The Network lead clinicians are working with the new Health Boards to offer cardiology modules on continuing education sessions for primary care. Sessions have so far been held in Newport, Cardiff and Vale and RCT/Merthyr. If you feel the South East Wales Cardiac Network is able to contribute to any CPD/protected learning sessions your Health Board/Locality Office is organising please contact us.

Sue Wilshere029 2019

BHF/SEWCN Chest Pain Awareness Project

The SEWCN is rolling out a project initiated by the Mid and South West Wales Cardiac Network funded by the British Heart Foundation on raising awareness in primary care staff and patients of the importance of dialling 999 when experiencingcentral chest pain. Materials include pathways for practice staff on how to manage patients who contact surgeries with chest pain, posters for GP surgeries and information for patients. The Network is using the GP CPD sessions to highlight the project and distribute the materials. They are also being circulated by the WAST Paramedic Resuscitation Trainer who provides the mandatory CPR training to some GP practices. Additional copies of the materials are available through the Network.

Claire Lewis029 2019

Improving Cardiology Referrals from Primary Care to Secondary Care

The Network are undertaking a project to better understand the variations in cardiology referrals from Cardiff GP practices to Cardiff and Vale UHB and whether current services meet the needs of primary care and patients. All GP practices have been invited to participate. The next stage is to undertake a one-hour semi-structured interview with GPs who refer to cardiology using the data and case referralsto trigger discussions. The project will result in an anonymised report to the UHB. Any practice still interested in participating should contact the Network or Dr Armon Daniels.

Dr Armon Daniels07768

BNP Testing in Primary Care

The Network has written to the Health Board Chief Executives supporting the use of BNP in diagnosing Heart Failure. This is supported by all Network clinicians.

Dr Armon Daniels07768

BHF Hearty Lives Project

The BHF Hearty Lives Programme is a project is run through the Prevention and Care Directorate of the BHF. Projects are being run in Newham, Dundee, Hull and Torfaen with 10 cluster projects in other areas including Blaenau Gwent. Torfaen have been awarded £1.5m to establish the existing adult obesity pathway and setup a multi-disciplinary adult obesity service in primary care. It will also identify and circulate obesity management resources for general practice and community staff to ensure relevant and appropriate patient support. AHearty Lives Smoke free Blaenau Gwent project has received £100k plus 2 HCP posts which arefor health promotion specialists.

Elaine Tanner:01656

Cardiac Quiz – Win a £10 Marks and Spencer voucher!

Ah – you’ve spotted this!!

Question: How long has Liam Penny been the Lead Cardiologist for the Network?

E-mail your answer by **** to . The first correct answer out of the hat will be sent a £10 M&S voucher.

Arrhythmia Alliance Excellence in Practice Awards 2009

Congratulations to Cath Owen, BHF Arrhythmia Specialise Nurse at UHW who was recently awarded 2nd place at the Arrhythmia Alliance Excellence in Practice Awards 2009. Her award was for the Outstanding Contribution to the Management of Inherited Cardiac Conditions and was highly commended. Cath has been key in the development of the Sudden Cardiac Death Service in Cardiff and Vale UHB.

Mandie Welch/029 2074

Rachel James

Heart Failure Update

The Heart Failure Sub Group has been meeting regularly to finalise the baseline review of heart failure services, measured against the quality requirements. In addition they have produced guidelines for the use of beta-blockers in heart failure for GP’s, mapped palliative care services for heart failure patients in the area, produced referral forms for general physicians to heart failure teams in hospital, and looked at the Central Cardiac Audit Database for the National Heart Failure audit.

Trudi Phillips01443 443443 ext

Cardiac Rehabilitation Update

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Sub Group has been meeting regularly and are working to implement the recommendations from the Baseline Review Reportand Action Plan. Four members of the Group have undertaken the Yellowbelt4Healthcare training which has been developed for NHS Wales by NLIAH.

Sue Wilshere029 2019

Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

The South East and Mid and West Wales Cardiac Networks have started work on the new ACHD Standard in the Cardiac Disease NSF. Several meetings have taken place with Dr Helen Wallis, Consultant Cardiologist at ABM UHB. This work will feed into an all Wales ACHD Sub Group which will report on the provision and proposed strategy for ACHD services across Wales.

Sue Wilshere029 2019

Familial Hypercholsterolaemia Cascade Testing Initiative

Progress is well underway in delivering this project. Posts for FH Clinical Nurse Specialists and Genetic Counsellors have been advertised on the NHS Jobs website with a closing date of 12th May. The Service will be up and running by the end of 2010. An all Wales pathway is being developed which will be included on the Map of Medicine.

Elizabeth Gould029 2019

Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging

The demand for cardiac diagnostic imaging is increasing and it now features in many guidelines and is required for patients with ACHD, Complex Heart Failure, Arrhythmias and CHD.

Dr Nav Masani, Consultant Cardiologist at & Vale UHB and lead for diagnostics will be working with Dr Andrew Wood to produce a report on the demand, possible models and a strategy for Cardiac imaging in South Wales.

Dr Nav Masani029 2074

Primary PCI

An All Wales business case for pPCI is being finalised prior to being submitted to the Minister.

Elizabeth Gould029 2019

Reducing Inequities: Improving Effectiveness

A one day conference on “Reducing Inequity: Improving Effectiveness”took place on 30th March and included a number of interesting presentations on ways to improve inequalities to cardiac care.

Elizabeth Gould029 2019

Publications and E-Newsletters

NICE Guidance on Chest Pain of Recent Onset

NICE Guidance on Unstable Angina and NSTEMI

The Future Delivery of Diagnostic Imaging Services in Wales

National Diagnostic Imaging Framework

NICE E-Newsletter - April 2010

Arrhythmia Alliance E-Bulletin - April 2010

British Heart Foundation E-Newsletter

Next Network Meetings

Wednesday 19th May 2010SEWCN/Primary Care CardiovascularHoliday Inn Hotel, Castle St

Friday 21st May 2010SEWCN Heart Failure Sub GroupCardiology Seminar Room

C3, UHW

Friday 25th June 2010SEWCN Network BoardTBC

Wednesday 14th July 2010SEWCN Clinical Collaborative GroupESIS Conference Centre

Nantgarw

Contact the Core Network Team of the South East Wales Cardiac Network:

Lead Cardiologist – Dr Liam Penny

Lead Nurse – Trudi Phillips

Lead GP – Dr Armon

Network Manager – Sue Wilshere

Network Administrator – Claire Lewis

If you have any comments or information that you would like included in future issues please let us know.

South East Wales Cardiac Network

3rd Floor, 14 Cathedral Road

Cardiff

CF11 9LJ

Tel No: 029 20196164

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