Patients diagnosed with heart failure in Birmingham and Solihull have been given improved access to essential care through the launch of a brand-new community heart failure service at Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, provided by Heartlands Hospital, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
The service will enable patients with heart failure to be monitored and receive routine appointments closer to home with access to specialist heart failure nurses working closely with community nurses and primary care colleagues.
Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, officially opened the heart failure service by cutting a ribbon held by Heartlands Hospital’s Director of Operations, Ed Landon, and Heart Failure Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Stewart Black.
Ed Landon, Director of Operations, Heartlands Hospital, said: “This new clinic will help us to wrap care around our patients, giving them essential community care, helping improve their quality of care and overall long-term health outcomes.
“This is an exciting extension to the Respiratory Same Day Emergency Care service launched at the Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre a year ago.”
Asgher Khan, aged 55 years-old, from Yardley has intravenous (IV) furosemide daily, which relieves fluid congestion and breathing difficulties in patients with heart failure. He received this treatment at Heartlands Hospital but is now able to go to Washwood Heath. He said: “The service is priceless. I get more of a personal relationship with the team; it’s like a VIP service.
“I used to feel quite stressed going into hospital, but at Washwood Heath, once you’re done, you can go home. The team make sure you’re comfortable, do all the necessary checks, like your blood pressure and weight, and are there to discuss any problems and give reassurance and guidance. It’s real one-to-one care. I’m so grateful.”
Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre is one of six neighbourhood hubs to open across Birmingham and Solihull as part of the Community Care Collaborative (Collaborative) programme of care. These hubs are part of the government’s strategy to provide better integrated localised health and social care service with the aim of shifting care from hospitals into communities, focusing on prevention and early diagnosis, and using digital technology to better integrate health, social care and voluntary sector support around individuals and families.
Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock said: “I was delighted to visit Washwood Health and Wellbeing Centre – one of our pioneering neighbourhood health services – and to open the new heart failure clinic.
“Through our 10 Year Health Plan we are shifting care from hospital to community, bringing it closer to where people live. Washwood is leading the way, providing health and care services for the people of Saltley and Birmingham right on their doorstep.
“The new clinic offers patients rapid access to diagnostic appointments, care and support in one place. This will ease pressure on hospitals, while delivering better, more convenient care for patients.”
Richard Kirby, Chief Executive, Birmingham Community Healthcare (NHS) Foundation Trust, the organisation appointed to lead the work of the collaborative added: “The addition of the new heart failure clinic to the existing services provided at this neighbourhood hub in East Birmingham marks a great advance in how we are trying to better deliver healthcare more locally for patients. This community-based specialist care is enabling earlier interventions and helping residents manage their health closer to home which is where we know they would prefer to be.”
David Melbourne, Chief Executive of NHS Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull, said: “The East Birmingham Locality Hub is one of 43 initiatives across Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull that have been selected to take part in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, which is a strong endorsement of the partnership approach we are taking to tackle stark and unjust health inequalities by designing services around communities rather than organisations.”