Major £1.2 million upgrade to Croydon’s cardiology care
27 June 2017
Croydon University Hospital has moved all of its cardiology care under one roof in a major £1.2 million upgrade.
For the first time, Croydon patients will experience the full range of cardiology care without moving between two separate departments.
They will also benefit from bigger, brighter, purpose-built rooms and £180,000 of upgraded technology. This includes new electrocardiographs and analysis equipment. These allow clinicians to see more data at one time (including live scanning images) while diagnosing patients, reduce paperwork and have better communication with GPs.
The move went ahead on the weekend of 24-25 June. Meticulous care was taken to ensure no patients were disrupted. This was a major undertaking for such a busy cardiology department, which tested or scanned 30,000 patients last year and is located in London’s second-largest borough (in terms of size and population).
The move now completes the final phase of developing the Croydon Heart Centre where the cardiac catheter laboratory was already based. It is located on the ground floor of the Hospital’s London Wing, behind its main reception area. It is also ideally located next to the Emergency Department, as well as being next to the site of the £21 million new Emergency Department which is under construction and nearly complete.
Amanda Rose, Principal Cardiac Physiologist at Croydon University Hospital, said:
“The team has worked hard to create the Croydon Heart Centre and we know patients will appreciate the attention to detail. The two big changes are moving everything under one roof and upgrading the technology - but even the smaller things, such as the vastly improved reception area, are going to be really important. Now we are next to all the cardiac services including the cardiac catheter laboratory, cardiac wards and the cardiac care unit that provides intensive care.”
Mr Derek Bigglestone, a patient and member of the fundraising Croydon Cardiac Support Group, age 86, said:
"These fantastic, friendly clinicians have been looking after my pacemaker and my overall health for many years. Their new Croydon Heart Centre looks amazing and feels much bigger than before. The staff seem really pleased and I'm sure patients will be too.
"Our Croydon Cardiac Support Group has been raising money for this cardiology department since 1988. Of course, we didn't pay for this big new investment but it is still great to see it blossom into the department I always knew it could be."
Raymond Kiley, a cardiology patient, added:
“It was nice to see the staff effort to create a dedicated and coordinated area to benefit us, the patients, and of course the staff working environment.”
Dr James Gillgrass, Non Executive Director at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust and a retired Croydon GP, said:
"This upgrade to Croydon University Hospital's Cardiology Department will enhance the quality of cardiac services available in Croydon, to patients and doctors alike. In particular Croydon Health Centre's new systems for undertaking and sharing data will allow more seamless working with GP practices and will be an important step towards shaping care around a patient's needs."
The Croydon Heart Centre provides the full range of cardiac care - treating heart attacks and palpitations, installing pacemakers (including remote monitoring devices) and a wide variety of other treatments.
The telephone numbers and other contact details for the cardiology department remain the same. Its main number for booking appointments and other communication is 020 8401 3974.
UPDATE (29 June 2017): This has been reported in local press including the Croydon Advertiser and Croydon Guardian.