Audit Scotland has just produced an interesting report into 'Cardiology Services'.

In its report Audit Scotland said:-
"People in deprived communities are not always getting the same level of treatment as the rest of the population.   This implies a lower level of access to these treatments".

The report goes on to state:-
“The Scottish Government and NHS boards should monitor rates of the main cardiology procedures, compare these by board and by different groups, particularly in more deprived areas."

One would have to consider 'deprived areas' as not only those experiencing social deprevation, but also those areas distant or geographically removed from centres of excellence in the treatment of cardiac conditions.

Responding to the report, the Royal College of Nursing highlighted from the report the pressure on funding for specialist heart nurses, with NHS Orkney no longer employing one and other boards, including NHS Grampian and Borders, facing uncertainty about future funding.

Director Theresa Fyffe said:-
“Cutting back on specialist heart-failure nurses is counterproductive, not just for patients but for NHS finances as well.  Indeed, it is symptomatic of the wider approach that health boards are taking to saving money, ie cutting posts to reduce their wage bills and therefore storing up potential problems for the future when there won’t be enough nurses to deliver high-quality patient care.”

Source:-
Audit Scotland

Royal College of Nursing Scotland