We provide a comprehensive secondary care service for patients with cardiovascular disorders. The University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital each house an 8 bedded acute cardiac care unit providing a closely monitored environment for patients with life threatening acute coronary syndromes heart rhythm problems and acute heart failure.
Outpatient clinics and a full range of cardiac investigations are provided at Shotley Bridge, Durham, Bishop Auckland and Darlington.
At all sites clinics are provided for general cardiology chest pain, heart failure, pacemaker follow-up and cardiac rehabilitation. All sites provide a range of diagnostic services including ECG exercise testing, echocardiography, ambulatory ECG and blood pressure monitoring.
The Durham and Darlington sites also provide transoesophageal echocardiography, diagnostic cardiac catheterisation, permanent pacemaker implantation and nuclear cardiology. Stress echocardiography and cardiac MRI are currently available at Darlington.
The cardiac MRI service is recognised as a tertiary hospital service providing scans not only for local people but also people from other parts of the North East.
There is an active research programme within the cardiology department led by Prof J Murphy, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Durham University. Over the next few years there are plans to introduce cardiac CT scanning, complex pacing cardio defibrillator implantation and percutaneous coronary angioplasty in the Trust.
