International recognition for Doncaster cardiac service

A cardiac service at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals has been awarded an internationally recognised accreditation, which it will hold for the next five years.

The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) recognised the echocardiography service, which performs cardiac ultrasound scans (echocardiograms) on patients, as being a high quality service and commended the clinical experts who work there.

The department has held accreditation since 2011 for its high standards in transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography. The service is one of only two accredited services in the whole of Yorkshire.

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An echocardiogram, or “echo”, is a scan used to look at the heart and nearby blood vessels. It’s a type of ultrasound scan, which means a small probe is used to send out high-frequency sound waves that create echoes when they bounce off different parts of the body. These echoes are picked up by the probe and turned into a moving image that’s displayed on a monitor while the scan is carried out. An echocardiogram may be requested by a heart specialist (cardiologist) or any doctor who thinks you might have a problem with your heart, including your GP.

By holding this accreditation, it means that staff within the department have the relevant skills and expertise needed in order meet the required standards set by the BSE. This ultimately means a high quality service for the people of Doncaster, Bassetlaw and beyond.

Howard Briggs, Principal Clinical Physiologist in the department, said: “This is a tremendous achievement by all staff involved and I want to thank the team for their hard work in securing this award once again. We strive to ensure that we have the best service possible for the patients we serve and this award is a marker of such quality.”