A new form of treatment for patients who suffer a heart attack will be available in North Wales from early 2015, Health Minister Mark Drakeford has announced.
Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI) – more commonly known as coronary angioplasty or angioplasty – is a non-surgical procedure used to treat narrowed (stenotic) coronary arteries of the heart.
The Minister made the announcement during a tour of the new North Wales Cardiac Centre at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, which will open to the public on August 4.
Funded with support from the Welsh Government, the new centre will enable Welsh patients to be treated closer to their home. Cardiac angiography and angioplasty will be able to be performed locally, avoiding the need for patients to travel to Liverpool or Chester for these procedures.
The new state-of-the-art facility includes additional day case accommodation for patients.
Professor Drakeford, who also launched the first annual report on cardiac services in Wales during his visit to the North Wales Cardiac Centre, said:
“Fast and effective treatment is absolutely paramount when treating those people suffering from a heart attack and this development ensures that this treatment will be offered closer to home for Welsh residents.
“This investment and this great facility will also allow the NHS in North Wales to provide a primary PCI service for heart attack patients on a 24/7 basis for all North Wales patients early in 2015.
“Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff and preventative measures now in place, we have made significant progress in reducing the burden of heart disease over the past few years.
“However, we must continue to tackle heart disease which remains a major cause of death in Wales. We will continue to invest in services, improve early diagnosis and prevent the causes of the disease, including cutting smoking levels and encouraging people to adopt healthier lifestyles.”
