People will die’ if cardiac care changes go ahead

People will ‘undoubtedly die’ if changes in Devon’s cardiac care mean long delays in getting patients the emergency care they need, it has been claimed

Cllr John Nutley (Lib Dem, Ashburton and Buckfastleigh) spoke out at a full Teignbridge Council meeting amid concerns over the future of cardiac services.
Health chiefs say there are no current plans to make changes, having shelved a proposed trial in which acute services would be concentrated in Exeter. That led thousands of people across Torbay and South Devon to protest that the extra time taken to reach hospital would cost lives.
But protesters say they fear that shelving the proposal in favour of a full review of cardiac services will not stop the move to take some crucial emergency heart care away from Torbay.
“People will undoubtedly die,” said Cllr Nutley. “Every minute counts when you have a heart attack. If you are not treated within a short space of time you may be left with severe impacts on your health.
“Patients could be dead by the time they reach hospital.”
He said that if services were taken away from Torbay, the chances of patients surviving would be reduced dramatically. And, he added, it would entail merging Torbay’s ‘first class’ facilities with ‘underperforming’ Exeter, which already had a long waiting list.
“We must fight to save our life-saving cardiac department at Torbay Hospital,” he said. “And if we lose even a section of the department, the rest of the acute services at Torbay Hospital may fall like a pack of cards.”
In Torbay The Heart Campaign has raised more than £2,000 for leaflets, banners and publicity material to publicise its campaign against any cuts to local services.
Clinicians at Torbay Hospital have already offered to take some of Exeter’s patients to ease the pressure on services there as a way of staving off any cuts.