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Nwicker60
23-Jun-11, 17:23
Cardiology development means local treatment for patients

Over the past year, almost 400 Highland patients have been treated locally as a result of developments in cardiology at Raigmore Hospital.
Previously, these patients would have been treated out of the Highlands.
The percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) service, which involves putting balloons and tubes into patients’ arteries to open them up, was established last year.
Professor Steve Leslie, one of two interventional cardiologists working for NHS Highland, is delighted at the success of the PCI service, which has improved the care provided for cardiac patients.
He said: “In the year before PCI was available in Inverness, over 330 acute cardiac patients were transferred from Raigmore to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow with more transfers occurring from Wick, Skye and Fort William.
“Since we started PCI at Raigmore Hospital, over 300 patients have had treatment locally. The local service means we are able to treat the majority of our patients more quickly and they are in hospital for less time. It also means patients are treated by doctors they know.”
Further improvements to the cardiology service are imminent, including a new purpose built Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory, which will house the PCI service from September this year.
The new ‘Cath Lab’ is located within the X-ray department and not far from A&E at the front of the hospital. This is a good location to improve our ability to treat cardiac emergencies.
Professor Leslie said: “Highland has such a remote and dispersed population which itself presents a challenge but, with the development of the PCI service, we are now able to provide a higher level of cardiac care to our patients.
“A small number of patients will still need to be treated outwith Highland, but this has been a huge improvement for our patients and we will continue to build on it.”