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Cardiology

We provide an extensive cardiology service with a full cardio-respiratory department, cardiac catheter laboratory and the Acute Cardiac Care Unit at Warrington Hospital. We also provide outpatient services, ECG and a cardiac rehabilitation service at Halton General Hospital.

The Acute Cardiac Care Unit (ACCU) is a mixed sex unit consisting of 26 integrated Cardiology beds offering 8 high care (HC) beds for the more high risk patients who have suffered heart attacks or other cardiac conditions. The new unit of ACCU is a purpose designed, extensively refurbished dementia friendly area opened specifically to house both the existing general Cardiology ward and Coronary Care Unit which amalgamated into the new ACCU in December 2018.

ACCU is located on the first floor of Appleton Wing.

All 8 beds in the HC area of ACCU are equipped with state of the art monitoring equipment with access to a designated area to undertake emergency procedures such as temporary pacemakers for acutely ill patients along with other complex and invasive procedures.

The HC area of ACCU also provides the surveillance of telemetry channels which is distance monitoring of up to 8 patients chosen to wear a portable monitoring device and have their cardiac rhythm and heart rate transmitted for interpretation by specially trained telemetry nurses within HC where an electronic report is generated and provided for medical staff.

All ACCU patients are reviewed several times per week by a member of the cardiology medical team with HC patients being reviewed daily including weekends by one of the 7 Cardiology Consultant Team, one of whom are on call for Cardiology related issues 24 hours a day. This medical cover is in conjunction with a team of additionally trained Cardiac Nursing Staff and junior Doctors to provide specialist care for ACCU patients.

The ACCU ward has a rich staffing ratio of one qualified nurse for every 6 patients also supported by a Care Support Worker and the HC area providing one qualified nurse for every two patients.

A large number of ACCU patients will also utilise the facilities of the Cardiac Catheter Suite also located at Warrington Hospital. Following a period of assessment on the ACCU/HC, patients will often be referred to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital for further investigations, treatment or interventions.

We have a dedicated, fully digital, flat panel Cardiac Catheter Laboratory. The imaging/monitoring system includes Siemens Artis / Sensis angiography equipment with Medcon archive and reporting system. The Catheter Suite undertakes approximately 1,500 diagnostic procedures per annum. You can read more about angiography here.

There is an adjoining 10 bedded Catheter Suite day case unit and the department carries out permanent pacemaker implantation, with a physiologist led follow up service.

There is a dedicated multi-disciplinary team of staff including a nurse manager and nursing team, lead radiographer and a team of cardiac physiologists, plus dedicated administration support. 

A variety of procedures are carried out as a day case within the Cardiac Catheter Suite at Warrington; 

  • Coronary angiography 
  • Pacemaker implantation 
  • Loop recorder implantation 
  • Trans-Oesophageal Echocardiograms (TOEs) 

The majority of patients are seen in a pre-admission clinic prior to any day case operation. Patients are assessed fully and given a complete explanation of the procedure prior to consenting to treatment. 

There is dedicated team of cardiac physiologists, managed by the cardio-respiratory service manager, providing a full range of diagnostic cardiology services across the trust including:

  • 12 lead Electrocardiography (ECG)  
  • Echocardiography including Transthoracic (adult and paediatric), Tranoesophageal and Stress (Pharmacological and Exercise) echocardiograms. 
  • Exercise ECG testing - Physiologist and medically led  
  • Ambulatory Electrocardiography Monitoring 
  • Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring 
  • Tilt Testing – Physiologist and medically led  
  • Pacemaker Follow-up 
  • Loop follow up 

All myocardial infarction (heart attack) patients will be referred to the dedicated, multi-disciplinary cardiac rehabilitation team to assist and advise them during their recovery.

Initially the process of rehabilitation starts in hospital at the patient’s bedside in order to provide reassurance and lifestyle advice. Patients are invited to either attend further rehabilitation classes, within the trust or out in the community, with the aim of returning patients back to a fully active life. 

We provide cardiology outpatient clinics in the outpatient department, Appleton Wing at Warrington Hospital and the outpatient department at Halton General Hospital.

Cardio Respiratory Unit 
Kendrick Wing 
Warrington Hospital
Warrington 
Cheshire 
WA5 1QG

Telephone1:
01925 662335

Find out infomration about our Senior Doctors in Cardiology here. 

Warrington Hospital

The Nightingale Building (formerly known as Halton Hospital)