08/03/2019 | Press releases

Secretary of State visits ESNEFT

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock MP visited the life-saving team at Ipswich Hospital’s Heart Centre today, Friday 8 March.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock MP speaks with healthcare assistant on Somersham Ward at Ipswich Hospital Belinda Keys

 

The Minister toured the £5million specialist unit and went behind the scenes in an operating theatre to watch a heart attack patient undergoing surgery.

On his visit to the hospital, run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), the Minister also hosted a question and answer session with 130 members of clinical and support staff.

ESNEFT Chief Executive Nick Hulme said: “We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State today and to give him the opportunity to meet so many frontline and support staff. I’m very proud to be part of the NHS and today we were able to show him some examples of what makes it great locally, as well as talking about the challenges we face.”

The Ipswich Heart Centre opened in 2014 and is home to specialist theatres for planned coronary angioplasty. This is a life-saving operation where patients at risk of a heart attack have their narrowed arteries widened.

More recently, the team has started performing a new technique called rotablation. This procedure involves breaking down calcium built up in a patient’s coronary arteries over time – much like limescale in household pipes– into microscopic fragments. It is performed through a tube in the patient’s wrist and means patients can go onto undergo stent or surgical treatment.

Ipswich Hospital Heart Centre sister Pippa Wilson with Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock MP in the operating theatre.

 

Heart Centre sister Pippa Wilson said: “I’m very proud of the care provided by my team and we are glad the Secretary of State saw first-hand a real life example of the treatment we provide, and how it can make a life-saving difference to patients.”

Patient Barry Parker, who met the Secretary of State on his visit to the hospital, said: “The staff at this place are fantastic.”

Matt Hancock MP went behind the scenes in the operating theatre to watch a heart attack patient undergoing surgery.

Back to top
Translate »