Plan to reduce heart patient wait times

A pilot project at Waikato Hospital aims to reduce wait times for heart patients. Photo / Thinkstock.

Cardiologists around New Zealand are watching a pilot project at Waikato Hospital in the hope it will help reduce treatment times for acute coronary syndrome.

The number of patients going to hospital emergency departments with symptoms of the syndrome, which include chest pain, nausea and sweating, is rising nationwide, putting pressure on bed availability, laboratories and patient flow.

A three-year pilot project, started last year and aimed at bringing treatment times for such patients to within 72 hours, is being led by the Waikato District Health Board.

Health Waikato chief operating officer and one of the project's leaders Jan Adams said it had been found that most patients with the syndrome would benefit from early intervention and treatment.

"And because of the ageing population the numbers are likely to grow so we really need to do something about it," she said.

"It's a complex issue because there's issues around our cath labs because of the number we have, the hours of operation, and turnaround times."

Waikato District Health Board has two catheterisation labs, which process test results, , and outsources work to a third because of the demand.

Mrs Adams said access to beds at Waikato Hospital was a problem because cardiology was an acute service with growing demand ... "

So far, the team have managed to get between 33 per cent and 59 per cent of patients treated within the 72-hour timeframe.

The lower figures took in the Christmas and New Year period when the number of patients rose dramatically because of reduced availability of GPs.

"We're averaging around 55 to 59 per cent," Mrs Adams said.

Senior cardiologists nationally set a target of 80 per cent but for now the project would aim for 70 per cent within the next 15 to 18 months, then build up to 80 per cent "because it doesn't just happen overnight".