Annex A > Chapter 10 - Outreach Cardiology Clinics > Clinics in the South West and South Wales > The involvement of local clinicians

The involvement of local clinicians

26 Dr Jordan also commented on the input of local clinicians:

`In most clinics the paediatricians joined us which although considered to be somewhat wasteful in terms of staffing was an ideal arrangement as it allowed both the cardiologists to learn from the specialised knowledge of the paediatricians and the paediatricians to keep abreast of the way which we were managing patients.

`Mr Wisheart attended a few of the clinics but it was more difficult for him to fit this in with his operating schedule and gradually he came less, and usually only for part of a clinic ...

`Great efforts were made by the cardiologists and the cardiac surgeons to maintain lines of communication with paediatricians. I personally dictated all my own discharge summaries and copies of letters were also sent. Both of these contained full details of treatment, outcomes and future plans ...

`The paediatric cardiologists and to a lesser extent the surgeons were frequently asked to join in post graduate meetings in peripheral hospitals and present papers or clinical cases at meetings.' [26]

27 Dr Alan Day [27] said:

`I have established very close working links with Dr Martin and normally see him when he comes to this clinic and, if possible, sit in on consultations about my patients. In addition we have excellent telephone links, both with himself and colleagues, and I have been impressed by the standard of the cardiac diagnostic services.' [28]

28 Dr David Challacombe [29] recalled:

`My contacts with the paediatric cardiac surgical services at the BCH and BRI were mainly through the paediatric cardiologists, who gave an excellent service to patients and parents. After patients were seen at the joint cardiac clinics in Taunton, arrangements were made for them to be admitted to the BCH for cardiological investigations. My next contact with them would have been at the next cardiac clinic in Taunton and I would have received a discharge letter from the cardiologists with details of the operation performed and the patient's post-operative condition.' [30]

29 Dr John Tripp [31] said:

`We enjoyed a very close working relationship with the Paediatric Cardiologist from the BRI. In the early years I did one or two joint clinics with Mr James Wisheart in addition to frequent joint clinics with Dr Hyam Joffe and Dr Stephen Jordan. Actually doing joint clinics has become rarer over the years and is now not the way these clinics are conducted.' [32]

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Footnotes

[26] WIT 0099 0016 Dr Jordan

[27] Consultant paediatrician, Cheltenham General Hospital

[28] REF 0001 0012; letter from Dr Day to the Inquiry

[29] Consultant paediatrician, Taunton and Somerset Hospital

[30] REF 0001 0030; letter from Dr Challacombe to the Inquiry

[31] Senior Lecturer in Child Health, Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust

[32] REF 0001 0062; letter from Dr Tripp to the Inquiry