AQW 15429/22-27


Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim


Tabled Date: 20/09/2024
Answered On Date: 04/10/2024
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 8708/22-27, to detail the progress of the regional medical workforce review of Consultants, Specialists and Associate Specialists.


Answer:
Recurrent funding has been provided for the Cardiac Network’s Clinical Lead post. Funding for the Heart Failure Lead and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Lead posts has also been provided for the duration of these projects.
In relation to the Cardiac Network’s Workplan, service developments have been progressed in the following areas:
The pacing workstream achieved a regional consensus on the referral and management pathway of patients presenting to hospital with bradyarrhythmia. An agreed process has been implemented for escalation and safe inter-hospital transfer of these patients to a regional centre, if required. This was achieved with no additional funding.
In line with NICE guidelines, the Rapid Angina Assessment Clinic (RAAC) workstream implemented a regional pathway for the assessment and diagnosis of patients with new on-set chest pain suggestive of stable angina. This was achieved with no additional funding.
The palpitation pathway was expanded to Mid Ulster GP practices. This expansion was cost-neutral due to repurposing of monitors.
Pre-operative guidelines for inpatients awaiting cardiac surgery have been revised and agreed resulting in streamlined access to inpatient cardiac surgery. This was achieved with no additional funding.
Work relating to other areas of the workplan is ongoing with no funding allocated at present.
In relation to the regional medical workforce review of Consultants, Specialists and Associate Specialists, to date a regional survey has been completed establishing a cardiology staffing baseline. In light of other Workplan priorities, the aim is to continue the review next year.