New state-of-the-art cardiology procedure room opens

A new state-of-the-art procedure room has opened to help increase cardiology capacity at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The investment in new equipment and a redesign of existing clinical space at NNUH has enabled the Trust to open its fourth Cath Lab.  It is already being used to treat patients who are having heart attacks and other heart-related conditions requiring urgent management.

The new room has the latest technology, which offers improved image quality and reduces radiation exposure for patients. The project also received funding of £55,000 from the Norfolk Heart Trust to help complete the works and £50,000 to buy haemodynamic equipment.

It will be used for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty, to carry out emergency and elective work to treat patients who are experiencing a narrowing of their coronary arteries and also for other cardiac emergency procedures.

David Ashman, Cath Lab Manager at NNUH, said: “This is a fascinating project for us as it is part of an expansion of cardiology services at NNUH. That will enable us to improve our service dramatically by giving patients faster access to tests and procedures like ablation, angiograms, angioplasty and pacemaker implantations.”

The Trust is set to increase cardiology space further later this year when Interventional Radiology moves to a new purpose-built development on the roof of the East wing of the hospital.

The new Cath Lab has been equipped with the latest Philips c-arm imaging machine, which has been provided through a managed equipment service contract with Siemens.