St George’s cardiac arrest survival rate among best in London
The survival rate of patients brought to St George’s Hospital having suffered a cardiac arrest is in the top two in London, according to statistics published by London Ambulance Service in August.
The annual study examines survival rates across the capital and found that between August 2010 and July 2011 the survival rate of patients brought to St George’s Hospital was 15.4 per cent (16/104). This is the second year running that the hospital has been in the top two out of more than 30 hospitals included in the report.
Paula McLean, resuscitation service manager, said: “These statistics are encouraging and demonstrate that the service provided at St George’s is among the best anywhere. The figures represent patients who have suffered a cardiac arrest outside of hospital – at home or at work, for instance – so their hearts stopped beating prior to getting into hospital, which is very serious.
“The survival rate at St George’s is the result of complex teamwork between several departments, including A&E, cardiology, resuscitation services and intensive care, combined with the latest technologies. This ensures that patients receive specialist attention as quickly as possible, which ultimately saves lives.
“A specialist heart attack team was set up at the hospital in July, which will help to coordinate the care of patients suffering heart related illnesses even more efficiently. We are expecting this to have a positive impact on patient survival rates for heart attacks and cardiac arrest in future.”
St George’s Hospital has one of the biggest cardiology units in the country. It provides emergency care, diagnosis, medical treatment and outpatient services for all heart disorders. This includes heart attacks, heart failure, heart valve disease, heart muscle disease, congenital heart defects, high blood pressure and arrhythmia (irregular heart beat). The hospital is the heart attack centre for southwest London, providing a 24-hour emergency angioplasty service, enabling life-saving treatment to be given to heart attack patients.
Notes to editors
Statistics sourced from London Ambulance Service (LAS) Cardiac Arrest Annual Report: 2010/11.
For more information, please contact the communications team at St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust on 020 8725 5151 or emailcommunications@stgeorges.nhs.uk. Outside working hours, please page the team by calling 0844 822 2888, leaving a short message and contact details for pager SG548.
