Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic referrals

A recent ECG must accompany all referrals.

If you wish to discuss your referral, or are unsure as to whether the patient is appropriate for referral to the Rapid Access Chest Pain Service, please contact either:

Jan Keenan, Nurse Consultant, Cardiac Medicine
Tel: 0300 304 7777 (Switchboard) Bleep 1128

Email: jan.keenan@ouh.nhs.uk

Paula Wren, Secretary, Cardiology
Tel: 01865 572043

The Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic was set up to identify patients with cardiac symptoms, initiate appropriate treatment and investigation plans and identify those who merit 'fast track' management.

Clinics

Clinics run every week as follows.

Monday and Wednesday Morning and Thursday Afternoon in Oxford

Tuesday morning in Banbury.

The Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic is a 'one-stop' clinic in which the patient is assessed and examined if necessary by either a Nurse Consultant or or member of the team.

Appointments are conducted either by telephone or in person. A named Consultant Cardiologist has designated responsibility for the patient in the clinic.

If necessary, a follow-up appointment will be made for attendance at a Consultant clinic, or referral for further investigations may be made at the time of the appointment.

Indications for referral

• Patients with new onset chest pain suspected to be cardiac in origin.
• Patients with known ischaemic heart disease who have developed new onset or worsening symptoms, who have not been seen previously by a cardiologist.

Please do not refer patients with:

• cardiac chest pain at rest - refer these patients to the Emergency Department
• new suspected valve disease
• non-cardiac chest pain
• uncontrolled hypertension (Systolic > 180mmHg, Diastolic > 110mmHg)
• history of uncontrolled arrhythmias or palpitations
• a single episode of chest pain who have a normal ECG
• left bundle branch block - refer these patients to Cardiology Outpatients.