Cardiovascular Care Initiative of the Year

Oxford Integrated Cardiology Service: Creating Value at the Primary and Secondary Care Interface in Cardiovascular Medicine : Oxford University Hospitals FT

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) have recruited and trained a team of 12 General Practitioners to deliver cardiology outpatient appointments for most patients referred from 32 GP practices in Oxfordshire. The service is fully integrated with cardiac services at OUH. It is delivered at community locations and sees about 3000 new patients/year. Clinical outcomes are the same as hospital-based services, while patient experience and RTT are much improved. Operating costs are lower than alternative solutions with comparable outcomes. The service creates substantial improvements throughout the value chain, and enjoys exceptional feedback from patients, professionals and commissioners (see supplementary material).