Hywel Dda University Health Board looks at cardiology quality and safety report
Hywel Dda University Health Board is setting up a clinical project board to look at a report regarding cardiology.
Following concerns raised, the University Health Board commissioned a full, independent, external review by the recognised experts, the Royal College of Physicians into quality and safety of cardiology services.
Medical Director Dr Sue Fish said: “Our patients deserve the best possible care and we would like to reassure patients we take the issues raised in the report very seriously.
“The review did not look at any specific issues relating to individual patients and has not identified any parts of the service that are currently unsafe.
“However, it did make a number of recommendations advising us on how they believe we should configure cardiology services to improve the care of patients across the university health board.
“We will have to consider the recommendations very seriously before reaching a decision on how we implement them.
“A number of the issues identified in the report are already being addressed. We have been reviewing all deaths in our hospitals over several of years to ensure that lessons can be learned and patient care improved.
“We have undertaken a further review of the Risk Adjusted Mortality Index (RAMI) data in our hospitals, we have improved the management of clinical incidents and we are ensuring that we participate in National Clinical Audits in order that we can benchmark the care our patients receive against that in other hospitals in England and Wales.
“When the review was commissioned we were already working with our clinicians to look at how services could be improved and we will now set up a clinically led project board to discuss the report and its recommendations in detail, formulating an action plan as a matter of urgency.
“It’s important to stress that no decisions have been made as the project board will need to consider the recommendations with our expert clinicians before firm decisions on the best way forward are made.”
The University Health Board will provide its official response to the report at the public board meeting in May.
If anyone has any concerns about their care, we would ask them to contact the patient support team on 0300 0200 159
Copy of the report can be found at www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/862/opendoc/237099?uuid=B707FF80-9263-F704-D34D61E9EC391CF7
Following concerns raised, the University Health Board commissioned a full, independent, external review by the recognised experts, the Royal College of Physicians into quality and safety of cardiology services.
Medical Director Dr Sue Fish said: “Our patients deserve the best possible care and we would like to reassure patients we take the issues raised in the report very seriously.
“The review did not look at any specific issues relating to individual patients and has not identified any parts of the service that are currently unsafe.
“However, it did make a number of recommendations advising us on how they believe we should configure cardiology services to improve the care of patients across the university health board.
“We will have to consider the recommendations very seriously before reaching a decision on how we implement them.
“A number of the issues identified in the report are already being addressed. We have been reviewing all deaths in our hospitals over several of years to ensure that lessons can be learned and patient care improved.
“We have undertaken a further review of the Risk Adjusted Mortality Index (RAMI) data in our hospitals, we have improved the management of clinical incidents and we are ensuring that we participate in National Clinical Audits in order that we can benchmark the care our patients receive against that in other hospitals in England and Wales.
“When the review was commissioned we were already working with our clinicians to look at how services could be improved and we will now set up a clinically led project board to discuss the report and its recommendations in detail, formulating an action plan as a matter of urgency.
“It’s important to stress that no decisions have been made as the project board will need to consider the recommendations with our expert clinicians before firm decisions on the best way forward are made.”
The University Health Board will provide its official response to the report at the public board meeting in May.
If anyone has any concerns about their care, we would ask them to contact the patient support team on 0300 0200 159
Copy of the report can be found at www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/862/opendoc/237099?uuid=B707FF80-9263-F704-D34D61E9EC391CF7
Comments