MORE than 80 people in Worcestershire with irregular heart rates have benefitted from a nurse-led service which launched in September last year.

The service is run by cardiac assessment nurses from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital.

More than 80 patients have been treated at the weekly cardioversion sessions, with a 90 per cent success rate.

Cardioversion treatment involves giving the heart a controlled electric shock in order to try and restore its normal rhythm and can result in patients experiencing less breathlessness, less discomfort and more energy.

In the long term some can even start to come off some medications.

Before the service was launched patients would be treated in an operating theatre and cardiac catheter lab, which often involves staying in hospital overnight.

But now they can be treated and sent back home on the same day, freeing up space in the cardiac catheter lab.

Former patient Marvin McSorley described the service as “fantastic all round”.

“I was a bit apprehensive before coming into hospital but within five minutes of meeting the team all my worries had gone,” he said.

“Everyone was so happy and it was clear they knew what they were doing.

“They made me so relaxed and looked after me so well.”

Cardiac assessment nurse Sally Baker said her team had first formed in 2005, since when they had seen a lot of developments.

“Although we are still bleeped by emergency departments seven days a week, we are now running clinics and providing a liaison service between our patients, their GPs and their consultants,” she said.

“It took a lot of hard work to bring in these nurse-led sessions, but seeing the results and the benefits they bring to both patients and the trust assures me that we made the right choice.”

For more information on the service call 01905 763 333.