MP concerned over proposed change to cardiac care
Delays to treatment are among the concerns being raised by a proposal to move an out-of-hours cardiac service out of Torbay.
The suggested trial comes after two reviews undertaken by a healthcare programme found the joint service across hospitals in the county could be improved.
Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI), an emergency treatment for heart attacks, is currently provided at hospitals in Torbay and Exeter, but the proposal could see the service moved to just the latter.
Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay Steve Darling said he was "extremely concerned" at the prospect of losing the procedure from the Torbay area as it could mean "poorer outcomes for patients".
He said: "For patients throughout South Devon, clearly Torbay is a lot closer than Exeter, particularly on a busy summer's day.
"I'm just concerned that delays in treatment can mean poorer outcomes and I'm looking for a briefing with the hospital to get some reassurances, but also to see if the trial does come out negatively, that they will reverse this decision."
In an update to local MPs the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSD) said it hoped the temporary change would "demonstrate improved access and equity".
"The agreement, which would see both trusts working together with a shared rota, follows input from clinicians and managers from TSD, Royal Devon, NHS Devon and Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT)," it added.
Darling said the proposal needed to be tested "a lot more".
"I will not compromise on patient care in South Devon," he said.
TSD said the full terms and conditions of the test of change were yet to be finalised and the project would not proceed until a rigorous review had taken place.
It added: "However, executives at TSD, Royal Devon and NHS Devon, along with GIRFT leaders, have collectively approved the overarching approach, and the plan is to work towards a start date of 17 March for an eight-week period.
"Once the pilot has concluded, a full evaluation, including clinical outcomes and experiences of patients, will be externally commissioned to ensure the learning is captured thoroughly and presented back to all cardiology teams and executive colleagues for review."
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