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St
Pauls Heart Care Clinic
Dr Raj
Mattu - Consultant Cardiologist
Why have the Clinic?
You may not be aware that the West
Midlands and in particular Coventry has one of the
highest death rates in the country from heart disease and
stroke (CVA), that is ‘cardiovascular disease’.
There are many reasons why Coventry has this higher than
average death rate and incidence of cardiovascular
disease. Additionally, the social deprivation, cultural
beliefs and educational background in the city also make
it especially difficult to provide satisfactory care for
many of these patients in Coventry, particularly from
certain wards.
Almost 10% of the Coventry population is over 65 years
of age, 38% are of social class IIIb or less, 12% are
unemployed (mainly from the Indian subcontinent, and as
high as about 25% in some wards) and 40% do not own or
have access to a motor-car. Many people therefore find it
very difficult to travel around the city. This is made
even harder for hospital patients and their relatives due
to the Walsgrave Hospital being on the North East edge of
the city, and because the city has a ‘hub and spoke’
road and bus network, rather than a grid system,
requiring multiple buses for destinations away from the
city centre. Patients need and rely heavily on
visitations from friends and relatives to recover from
illness and to attend for investigations. Patients and
relatives, who are often already frightened of hospitals,
frequently use the awkward journey to convince themselves
to avoid attending. Clearly the majority of the people in
Coventry do not benefit from the current site, and this
will NOW CONTINUE due to the same projected site for the
new hospital.
How serious is
the heart disease problem in Coventry?
Amongst males under 65 years, premature death rates from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in Coventry (86.3) are amongst the highest in the country (national average 74.8). In some wards the rates are substantially higher, causing death at younger ages than a decade ago, producing a mean age of death of about 66 years. These alarming figures are particularly bad amongst certain ethnic groups, especially from the Indian Subcontinent, with premature death rates from CHD being 36% higher for men and 46% for women.
Over 1% of the city has a clinical diagnosis of
Diabetes, with an estimated incidence of about 5% amongst
the white population and about 15-18% amongst the ethnic
population.
How did the
Clinic start?
You will appreciate that Coventry has a high coronary heart disease burden, with poor uptake of health care services, and a disadvantaged population. The need to try new strategies to establish improved health led to discussions between the Reverend Canon Jim Canning and Dr RK Mattu (Consultant Cardiologist), which expanded to include community leaders and workers, culminating in the St Paul’s Heart Care Clinic.
This outreach clinic aims to improve uptake of health
services by providing easier access, proximity to the
target populations, informal surroundings, and one-stop
screening with multilingual volunteers.
Who can attend
the Clinic?
ANYONE can attend the clinic. The clinic is open to ALL PEOPLE who wish to have a heart health check. You do NOT need a doctor to send or refer you to this open service. If you are concerned or worried, you are welcome at the clinic. Although the clinic was designed as a walk in service, the public demand has been so high that we can now regrettably only see people with an appointment.
How can I attend the Clinic?
If you are concerned or worried about heart disease,
you are welcome to make an appointment and attend the
clinic. Regrettably, we can now ONLY SEE YOU WITH AN
APPOINTMENT. Due to the tremendous public response
FOR AN
APPOINTMENT Attend at the
Clinic or telephone: 02476–681953.
THE CLINIC IS
HELD ON: Monday
afternoons from 3 pm till 7 pm
THE CLINIC IS
HELD AT:
Community Hall, St Paul’s Church, Foleshill
Road, Coventry. CV6 5AJ.
There is a small car park, with more road-side parking.
The number 20, 40, 50, 51, 58 & 68 buses stop right
outside the church, and numbers 21, 31, 37 & 47 (Stoney
Stanton Road/ Broad Street junction) and 3, 4, 57 &
157 (Lockhurst Lane/ Livingston Rd junction) stop within
5 minutes walking distance from the church.
What will
happen to me at the Clinic?
Anyone who wishes to have a heart check will have a detailed chat about their previous and current health, especially regarding heart disease. They will be assessed for evidence of the presence of heart disease and their personal risk of developing it in the near future.
Everyone will have their inherited risk of heart
disease evaluated by recording any family history of
heart disease and risk factors for heart disease, such as
cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes. They will be
personally assessed for the presence of risk factors
which include:
Body Mass Index - checks if you are overweight for
your height
Waist/ Hip ratio - checks if you have excess body
fat around the tummy compared to your build
Smoking - causes about 20% of the coronary heart
disease in the UK
Exercise - lack of regular exercise is an
increasing cause for heart disease in the UK
Blood Pressure - measured to check that it is not
high
Urine test - by testing for protein and sugar, we
screen for kidney function and diabetes
Blood Cholesterol - check levels of both the
‘good’ and the ‘bad cholesterol
Blood fat levels - high levels are a recognised
risk factor for heart disease
Blood glucose - helps to screen for diabetes, a
risk factor for heart disease
Clinical Examination - Heart Specialist performs a
detailed examination to check for heart disease
At the end of the evaluation, all persons have a
consultation with the heart specialist about what has
been found, when any changes that need to be considered
in lifestyle or therapy are also explained.
What happens
after the Clinic?
All persons are provided a typed written report of their assessment and findings before leaving the clinic. This report also includes any recommendations and is forwarded to the General Practitioner.
Patients with heart disease are identified and recommendations are made to the patient and their General Practitioner regarding any changes in lifestyle, alterations to therapy and future investigations. In all the people in whom no heart disease has been identified at present, their risk of developing heart disease over the next 10 years is estimated, and they are also advised accordingly.
Your General Practitioner will oversee any subsequent
care for ALL persons.
What are the
results so far?
The self-referral service was started on 1st July 2002 and has already assessed over 170 patients from just one session per week. About 43% of the patients seen so far have been female, largely from ethnic backgrounds. These are exactly the group of patients who are reluctant attendees at the Hospital.
Detection
rates:
Newly diagnosed Angina Pectoris, 5 patients
Newly diagnosed Diabetes, 3 patients
Newly diagnosed Heart Failure, 4 patients
Newly diagnosed Cholesterol problems, 23 patients
Newly diagnosed High Blood Pressure, 28 patients
‘Watch
this space for further clinic results!’
For enquiries please contact
The Reverend Jim Canning , St Paul’s Church,
Foleshill Road, Coventry. CV6 5AJ
