Patients needing specialist cardiology treatment are benefitting from a partnership between Derriford Hospital and Regent’s Park Healthcare to reduce waiting times.
The third cath lab developed as part of the partnership opened recently and the first patient at the Peninsula Heart Clinic, Pamela Robertson, was absolutely delighted with her treatment.
She said:
“Everyone was so nice; they made a scary experience less scary. This was my fourth procedure and I would be very comfortable coming back here in the future as everyone was so lovely.”
Chief executive, Dr Anil Ohri and clinic manager, David Smith from Regent’s Park Healthcare marked the occasion with flowers and gifts for Pamela.
The new facility is expected to treat around 1,000 NHS patients each year, seeing those requiring basic angiograms and straightforward, day-case Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).
In a partnership arrangement, the new centre offers services for NHS patients three days per week initially. It is staffed by RPH cath lab and recovery staff, with consultants from University Hospitals Plymouth carrying out the procedures.
Similar cardiology public-private partnerships are running elsewhere in the country but in most areas, this work is outsourced to an off-site facility. The NHS retains control in this arrangement using a private facility situated on an NHS site, building on Plymouth’s status as a centre of excellence for cardiothoracic services.
