A helping hand at the General Hospital

It’s generally known as ‘a blackout’ and it’s what medical professionals term Transient Loss of Consciousness (T-LOC). It could point to heart problems, although there are numerous other reasons. Investigations are necessary, and the quicker the better.

Since late 2016 the Jersey Heart Support Group has been co-funding a hospital rapid access investigations unit – the T-LOC clinic – with a grant of £150,000. Specialist cardiac nurses staff it and it runs alongside the hospital’s cardiology clinics. The aim is to reduce waiting times from months to weeks and cut hospital admissions.

As a result of the Support Group funding, specialist arrhythmia heart nurse Sister Kelly-Anne Kinsella was appointed to the T-LOC heart team for three years.

Specialist cardiac nurse Angela Hall who works alongside Kelly-Anne is the 2018 Royal College of Nursing Nurse of the Year. She also won the Innovations in Your Speciality Award for developing methods to improve care for patients with heart rhythm disorder.

Angela was recognised for introducing a new drug to Jersey’s emergency department to treat patients admitted with a quivering heartbeat. It has allowed patients to be treated and discharged within hours rather than being admitted to hospital.