New heart nurses at Musgrove

9:37am Thursday 28th June 2007

MUSGROVE Park Hospital, in Taunton, has recruited two new types of nurse for patients suffering heart rhythm disorders.

Jacqui Kemp and Janice Bailey have been appointed as BHF Arrhythmia Nurse Specialists, funded and trained by the British Heart Foundation for three years.

Consultant cardiologist Stuart Walker said: "Heart rhythm disorders are very common and can have important effects on the heart's function.

"It's essential that we are able to offer our local population the best possible service for these types of problems.

"The quality of our current service will be significantly enhanced with the recruitment of these two expert nurses.

"They will be able to offer advice to arrhythmia patients and their families while also co-ordinating the care of patients with more complicated rhythm disorders."

Claire Goodman, BHF Regional Director, said: "We're delighted to have been able to provide funding for these two posts, which will greatly improve the treatment that patients with heart rhythm disorders receive in Somerset."

At least a million people in the UK have experienced a cardiac arrhythmia - an irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythm.