Ealing Hospital opens pioneering heart failure unit
High admission rates for heart failure patients across North West London have led to the opening of a heart failure day care unit that aims to keeps all but the most critically ill patients out of hospital.
Dr Harmandeep Singh and Dr Stuart Rosen of Ealing Hospital proposed the three month pilot after London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust admitted more than 1,500 people during 2017/18.
Dr Singh said: “It is a national problem which costs the NHS more than £5 billion a year and the pressure on bed space is only going to increase unless we see a sea change in lifestyle.
“I regularly see patients who, through no fault of their own, are spending too long in hospital because we don’t have an effective early intervention programme.”
The new day care unit, which is based in the hospital’s ambulatory care unit, goes far beyond existing units in the NHS offering a ‘one stop shop’ service focused on treating and discharging patients the same day.
Mr Lota, 67, who lives in Southall said: “I’ve been seen twice at the new clinic and avoided any hospital stays since which is a relief. It makes a big difference being able to go home.”It offers a lifeline for patients like Daljit Lota who was admitted to Ealing six times for heart failure in a single year and subsequently spent more than 100 days in hospital.
The first month of the 12 week pilot treated 38 patients who would normally have been admitted to hospital. Several patients required more than one attendance but only two required hospital admission.
The unit, which accepts referrals from the hospital’s emergency department and community heart failure nurses, offers a more holistic approach which has won the support of both Imperial College London and Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group.
This includes specialist reviews by heart failure, diabetic and respiratory nurses, intravenous iron infusions and blood transfusions, specialist investigations and procedures, onward referrals for advanced heart failure treatment and daily/weekly check-ups as required.
Dr Singh added: “The initial results are very exciting and our hope is that this sort of unit could be rolled out across the UK.
“The ongoing challenge in the NHS is how to get more from less and we’re offering a service that makes use of existing resources as well as delivering better outcomes.”