Nearly 900 more cardiologists needed because of cut in working hours

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7369.855/a

BMJ 2002;325:855 ( 19 October )

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Nearly 900 more cardiologists needed because of cut in working hours

Patients with heart disease in the United Kingdom are still not getting an adequate level of care, with many never gettingto see a specially trained doctor, says a report out thisweek.

The Fifth Report on the Provision of Services for Patients with Heart Disease, from the British Cardiac Society and the RoyalCollege of Physicians, finds that although many aspects of coronarycare have improved since 1993, when the last report was produced,others continue toflounder.

Some patients $---$ especially those with coronary heart disease, for which there is a national service framework in England $---$ aregetting more attention from health planners. However, warns thereport, patients with problems not included in the guide (suchas heart muscle disease, complex heart rhythms, valvular heartdisease, and congenital heart disease) are in danger of beingforgotten.

Nearly 900 extra consultants will be needed by 2010 to compensate for a reduction in doctors' hours with the introductionof the European Working Time Directive, the reportsays.

Zosia Kmietowicz, London

Footnotes

The report has been published as a supplement to the November issue of the journal Heart (2002;88 (suppl 3)).

© BMJ 2002