Cardiology / Cardiac Centre
Level 2
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay TQ2 7AA
Tel: 01803 655161
Outpatient booking: 01803 656335
Services
The Torbay Cardiac Centre incorporates a triage room for emergency admissions, chest pain observation unit, coronary care unit, pacing room, and inpatient coronary care. It also has a dedicated cardiac catherisation laboratory where our consultants carry out angioplasties and angiograms.
Inpatient services
Our Cardiac Centre opened in 2003 is situated on the ground floor of the Hetherington unit and offers the following services:
Dunlop Ward
Dunlop Ward contains 16 cardiac beds and is situated in the Cardiac Centre. All patients are admitted under the care of one of the cardiologists and are cared for by cardiac trained nursing staff. There is a consultant ward round every weekday. There are no age limitations for admission to the cardiac wards. Urgent non-invasive investigations are available same day on request.
Coronary Care Unit
This 8 bedded unit in our Cardiac Centre is fully staffed and equipped for continuous ECG and haemodynamic monitoring, temporary cardiac pacing, IABP insertion, pericardiocentesis, ventilation (non-invasive and invasive), and haemofiltration. All patients admitted here are transferred to the care of one of the Cardiologists. There is a consultant ward round every weekday morning and there are no age limitations for admission.
Outpatient services
The Heart & Lung Unit was opened in December 1995 as a purpose-built unit for Cardiac and Respiratory Medicine and is situated below the Day Surgery Unit. The unit accommodates out-patient consultation rooms, investigation suites and the Resuscitation Training Department.
Consultant clinics
The majority of the consultant clinics offer a one-stop service with all appropriate investigations being performed at the same visit (excluding cardiac catheterisation). A number of clinics are dedicated to patients with specific problems such as the Echocardiography clinic, Young Adults and post-Myocardial Infarction clinic.
Non-consultant clinics
- Pacemaker follow-up
- Patient counselling
- Angiography pre-admission
- Chronic heart failure clinic
Cardiac rehabilitation
Cardiac rehabilitation is offered to patients following post myocardial infarction, angioplasty, heart failure and cardiac surgery. Other cardiac groups will be offered rehabilitation after an assessment of need.
Patients can be referred to the service by consultant cardiologists, GPs and allied professionals.
The programme consists of up to eight weeks of patient education and support addressing cardiac risk factors and exercise training.
You will be offered an assessment either face to face or via telephone after initial contact from the Cardiac Rehab Team. A programme of rehabilitation will then be offered involving either home based, online, or group sessions – held at both Newton Abbot and Paignton leisure centres.
The Cardiac Rehabilitation Team can be contacted at:
Old Farm Surgery
67 Foxhole Road
Paignton
TQ3 3TB
Tel: 01803 527062
Linq Insertable Cardiac Monitor Clinics
An insertable cardiac monitor is a small device that helps your doctor diagnose and treat problems with your heart beat. It sits just beneath the skin of your chest and continuously monitors your heart. It detects abnormalities of the heart rhythm, which are called arrhythmias.
The device is inserted under the skin and we have created some videos to explain the procedure and the how we monitor your heart rhythm.
Support videos
To support our patients, we have prepared some videos that will help people who have heart failure, their family, friends and carers. View our videos.
Useful links
British Heart Foundation
Tel: 0300 3303311
Website: www.bhf.org.uk
Talkworks
Tel: 0300 5553344
www.talkworks.dpt.nhs.uk