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HEALTH TARGETS "NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC"

Tuesday 30 September 2008

People suffering from heart and stroke illnesses have welcomed new Health Service targets for care and treatment - but feel that medical professionals have some way to go in meeting them.

HEALTH TARGETS "NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC"

People suffering from heart and stroke illnesses have welcomed new Health Service targets for care and treatment - but feel that medical professionals have some way to go in meeting them.
The Service Framework for Cardiovascular Health and Wellbeing sets out 44 standards, together with timescales for their introduction. But people who have been treated for cardiovascular illness want to see some of the targets made clearer. And they argue that medical staff may need more training if the framework is to be a success.
On their behalf, Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke is calling for:
- Three-yearly measurement of blood pressure, instead of the five years set out in the document
- Training for medical staff to enable them to spot "mini strokes", which can be a warning of a full-blown stroke
- Better communication between doctors and patients - this may include a relative being present while issues are explained
- All patients with chest pain to be seen at a rapid access clinic as quickly as possible, instead of the two-week target set out in the framework
- All heart attack patients should be offered cardiac rehabilitation and access to a support group
To gauge opinions, the charity sent out 500 copies of the document, together with a questionnaire. It also held public workshops in Derry, Armagh and Belfast.

Some respondents who had suffered a stroke said they had not even been informed of the diagnosis. Others called for better communication not just between doctor and patient, but also between GPs and consultants.
The charity outlined the responses at a reception in the Long Gallery at Parliament Buildings, Stormont.

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