Highland residents who suffer a heart attack can now access vital services 24/7 in Inverness.
The cardiac catheterisation laboratory at Raigmore Hospital has extended its opening hours to provide life-saving services.
People who suffer a heart attack can now be diagnosed and treated faster with stents that unblock arteries in the heart at any time.
Previously, patients requiring treatment out of operational hours would have to journey to the nearest facility 110 miles away at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Having the 24-hour service at Raigmore will allow patients to be seen quicker from across the Highlands, reducing the risk of death and also transportation costs.
In addition to the new opening hours, two new interventional cardiology consultants have joined the team at Raigmore, with operations starting this week on January 9.
‘Major benefit to patients’
Dr Jonathan Watt, NHS Highland’s clinical lead for cardiology, said: “This will provide a major benefit to the health and wellbeing of patients with heart disease across the north of Scotland.
“Our clinical and management teams have worked hard to develop this new service and we are excited about its potential to reduce mortality, health care inequalities and logistical costs.
“We have recruited specialist cardiac nursing, physiology and radiography colleagues to ensure that patients receive the most effective and safest treatment possible.
“I want to thank everyone involved in helping us to deliver this vital service, which will benefit patients in NHS Highland and its surrounding area for many years to come.”
