Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death in the country. National mortality rates of CVD are declining. However, Tower Hamlets still has high rates of deaths caused by this disease.
Our team
The CVD team comprises of four specialist CVD nurses, a bilingual support worker, and a team secretary.
Each nurse is responsible for one of the four localities of Tower Hamlets (north east, south east, south west and north west), working with the GPs and community centres within their area. However, we often work together at events across the borough.
The bilingual support worker helps us to better understand the needs of the Bengali population within Tower Hamlets and will provide interpretation and advocacy as required.
Our team secretary currently performs essential administration tasks and as our service develops, her role will expand also.
Our services
Cardiovascular disease includes coronary heart disease (angina, heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular disease (poor circulation of the limbs).
The CVD nursing service is in its developmental stages and at present we are not seeing patients.
Health equity project
During this time we are involved with The Health Equity Project, which is looking at whether the care practices provide is fair and equal to all. Our role is to present data to practices which shows how equitable their care is, and whether there are areas they could improve upon. Where appropriate, our team will then offer advice and support to help achieve this.
Education
The CVD team does not focus solely on those with existing disease, but attempts to identify those people who are at high risk of developing the disease. We then provide education, information and care management - for example, healthy eating advice - to try and reduce the risk of disease occurring or recurring, in addition to accurate blood pressure measurement and guidance.
We provide these services at local health events and currently, by working in unison with third sector parties, including the Health trainers and Poplar Harca, on a pilot health programme based upon the borough’s Time for health campaign.
Research
The CVD nurses are working closely with a team from Queen Mary University on a project to identify patients with high blood pressure and/or cholesterol. Once these high risk CVD patients have been identified we make possible treatment suggestions to the GPs to assist in controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
This work has helped build good relationships with local GPs which may pave the way for a referral system in the future for those patients who need specialist CVD input, in addition to the work done by GPs.
Screening programme
The CVD team is also involved in the planning of the Tower Hamlets approach to a national government initiative for vascular checks for all 40-74 year olds. Tower Hamlets is ahead of the majority of the country for this programme, and will be piloting the screening process early in 2009.
The CVD nurses have been directly involved in training health care assistants who will perform the checks, and will continue to support and evaluate them throughout the pilot process and once it is conducted in the rest of the borough.
Further information
While our service is in the planning stage we are unable to see patients. However, if you feel it may be appropriate for us to attend a community health event, please contact our team secretary, Liz Apara on 020 8223 8658.
