LACK OF STAFF HALTS GALWAY COMMUNITY HEART SCHEME

Date Published: 19-Jun-2008

A pilot project for patients with heart failure in Galway cannot get off the ground because of the HSE's failure to hire the necessary staff, according to a Ballinasloe based doctor.The scheme is a joint initiative between the primary care unit at University Hospital Galway and Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.Dr. John Barton, a consultant cardiologist at Portiuncula, says a similiar scheme at St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin is evidence of the success of involving communities in heart care.As part of the project, things such as routine echo scans could be carried out at GPs surgeries, reducing trips to the hospital.Speaking to Galway Bay Fm News, Dr. John Barton says the scheme has benefits for everyone.