Patient waiting times in St Helens are set to be slashed after a cardiology clinic was awarded an NHS contract.
Venturi Cardiology, an independent cardiology diagnostic clinic, has won an NHS contract with St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals (STHK), at no increased cost to the NHS.
Venturi has also partnered with STHK on a pioneering heart failure programme, seeing some of the most vulnerable cardiac patients quickly and giving them much-needed answers, often on the same day.
The clinic, which is based in Warrington, has won a trio of NHS contracts which has ensured over 3,000 patients waiting for vital heart diagnostic services in the North West have been seen, up to and beyond, 20 weeks earlier. As well as STHK, the contracts include Mid-Cheshire Hospitals (MCHT), Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and a GP federation
Their work with some NHS trusts has seen waiting lists plummeting by 50% and, in some cases, the waiting list for echocardiograms and CT scans of the heart, have been completely cleared and patients can now have the tests they need straight away.
Venturi Cardiology, which launched in 2021, offers the latest cardiac diagnostic technology and access to contemporary cardiovascular care. Co-founders Dr Scott Murray, Dr Jonathan Hasleton and Dr Tom Heseltine and their team, are on a mission to treat the causes of heart disease and to make world-class heart care accessible, affordable and more personalised.
It is a key reason why the consultants at Venturi, who also work in the NHS, carry out their Venturi work for the NHS at or below current NHS tariffs.
Dr Scott Murray said: “We are proud to be working with a growing number of health trusts across the North West and helping them to reduce the record high waiting lists, which were made worse by the pandemic.
“Our streamlined clinical and operational team can list and see patients in a shorter space of time, getting reports back to the relevant hospitals within days.”
“Over the past 18 months, we have seen over 3,000 NHS patients and many of these people would still be waiting for vital cardiac tests without our support. We are committed to helping the NHS to reset and recover. Crucially, we have saved the NHS time, money and resources and, most importantly, might just save some lives.”
Vicky Hilton, Deputy Service Manager, Cardio-Respiratory and Vascular Diagnostics at Mid-Cheshire Hospitals, said: “The partnership we have developed with Venturi has enabled the continued delivery of patient-centred care, patient safety and good patient outcomes during times of unprecedented pressure.”
Venturi Cardiology was officially opened by television actress and Hits Radio DJ Gemma Atkinson and former Bolton Wanderers player, Fabrice Muamba, in June 2021.
In addition to the 3,000-plus NHS patients it has assessed, Venturi has helped over 2,000 self-funded and private patients to also get the answers they need quickly and easily.
This month, the clinic is launching a range of self-pay, symptom-led packages which bundle together specific diagnostic tests depending on a patient’s concerns, such as palpitations, chest pain or high-blood pressure. Full details of these packages, including prices, can be found here.
For more information or to book a consultation visit the website – www.venturicardiology.com, email [email protected] or give us a call on 01925 748245.
