Health operating at "reduced capacity" of 15 ambulatory ECGs per week

Friday 18 October 2024

Health is currently operating at a "reduced capacity" of just 15 heart health tests per week, it has emerged – with almost 500 patients awaiting appointments.

A spokesperson said that the department hoped to return to its normal capacity of 35 ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) tests per week by the end of the month.

The information was revealed in response to a request submitted under the Freedom of Information Law.

Pictured: An ECG test records the electrical activity of a patient's heart, including the rate and rhythm.

The response said: "There is currently a reduced capacity of 15 appointments per week for ambulatory ECG monitors.

"Standard capacity is 35 appointments per week for ambulatory ECG monitors."

Following queries from Express, the Health Department said that the "temporary reduction" in appointments is due to a staff member being on "family leave".

"We expect that the capacity for appointments for ambulatory ECG monitors will return to standard levels by the end of the month," the statement added.

An ECG (electrocardiogram) is a test that records the electrical activity of a patient's heart, including the rate and rhythm.

It involves placing electrodes on the patient's body to measure the heart's activity and help diagnose heart conditions, arrhythmia and heart attacks.

An ambulatory ECG test is worn on a patient's body for a set period of time, usually between 24 hours and seven days.

Pictured: ECGs are usually carried out by the Hospital's Clinical Investigations department.

At the end of last month, there were 479 requests for ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors pending.

A total of 237 patients were awaiting 24-hour monitoring, 65 awaiting 48-hour monitoring, 130 awaiting 72-hour monitoring, and 47 awaiting week-long monitoring.

A further 76 patients were waiting for private ECGs elsewhere.

The response to the request submitted under the Freedom of Information Law also revealed that the wait for routine appointments is currently over three months from referral.

Urgent appointments are made within one month of referral, and Hospital clinician referrals are prioritised over GP referrals.

The response confirmed that there is currently the equivalent of one full-time member of staff responsible for ambulatory ECGs – alongside related tasks such as blood pressure monitoring and sleep studies.

Currently, 7.4 hours per day are spent on ECGs.