Heart Failure Service

This service is provided by Heart Failure Specialist Nurses who are Specialist Practitioners in Cardiology Nursing and Independent Non-Medical Prescribers. The service is for patients who have documented evidence of impaired left ventricular systolic function eg on echocardiogram or cardiac MRI.

Patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function should not be referred to the Heart Failure Service.

Patients are referred by Consultants, mostly Cardiologists, after an admission with heart failure or after being seen at Outpatient Clinics. Referrals are also accepted from other Trusts for patients residing in the Northern Trust geographical area.

All patients seen at the Heart Failure Clinics must be under the care of a Northern Trust Cardiologist. Referrals should be posted to Partial Booking, Causeway Hospital or via email appointments@northerntrust.hscni.net where they will be added to a waiting list. All referrals are then triaged by the HF nurses. Any inappropriate referrals will be returned to the referrer, stating reason.

The service aims to reduce mortality, reduce unnecessary recurrent hospital admissions and improve quality of life for heart failure patients by managing symptoms and improving end-of -life experiences.

At HF Clinic patients are assessed and evidence-based treatment is introduced / uptitrated to maximum tolerated doses. Patients are reviewed regularly to check for compliance and monitor for effects and side-effects of medication. Within the clinics the nurses also deliver heart failure self-management advice. The nurses liaise with Cardiologists, General Practitioners and other health care staff as appropriate to ensure care is delivered to a high standard.

Patients are discharged from the service when they are on maximum tolerated medication and their condition is stable.

Nurse-led clinics are held in the following localities through-out the Trust:

Antrim Hospital Outpatient Department
Ballymena Health and Care Centre Outpatient Department
Causeway Hospital Outpatient Department
Mid Ulster Hospital Outpatient Department
Whiteabbey Hospital Outpatient Department