Action already being taken on heart care issues: Ryall

Action is already being taken to address the issues raised in a critical report on the state of coronary health care in New Zealand, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

Specialist Chris Ellis led audits of care for heart patients at hospitals around the country in 2002 and 2007, and found that by the time of the second audit, heart attack patients were still waiting too long for tests to determine their level of risk and what treatment they needed.

A report on the study, published in the latest New Zealand Medical Journal, said patients outside the main centres were the worst affected.

The availability of non-invasive tests, especially echocardiograms and exercise treadmill tests, showed no improvement in the five-year period, and New Zealand lagged behind European countries in access to discharge medications which would improve the outcome for patients, Dr Ellis said.

He said there was an "urgent need" for a comprehensive national strategy to improve all aspects of acute coronary syndrome patient management.

Mr Ryall said today the findings reinforced the need for the National Cardiac Clinical Network, which was set up last year.

"The first priority was reducing cardiac surgery waiting lists, and the next area for improvement in cardiac services is the treatment of patients arriving in hospital with cardiac chest pain," he said.

"I am advised things have improved in most regions in recent years, but the poorest access exists in the Central North Island."

He admitted patients needing angiography were waiting up to five days in some parts of the region, while the aim was for them to be treated within 72 hours.

"I have written to every DHB about the issue, and outlined the plan which has been developed by clinicians," he said.