Tune in to 'Watch Your Own Heart Attack [30/07/08 @ 14:00]

~British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland urges the nation not to miss two minute TV event~

British Heart Foundation (BHF) Northern Ireland is announcing a TV first as it invites the nation to 'watch their own heart attack' through a television event that could help save lives. This compelling viewing experience will air on ITV1 on August 10 at 9.17pm during the Midsomer Murders break to raise awareness of heart attack symptoms, and could be the single most important two minutes of television people will ever see, says the nation's heart charity.

Every year in the UK almost a quarter of a million people suffer heart attacks, a third of whom die before reaching hospital . The BHF Northern Ireland campaign will show people how important it is to recognise heart attack symptoms and urge people to call 999 immediately when they experience them.

Marjory Burns, Director of BHF Northern Ireland, says "We're bringing heart attacks to life in living rooms across the country because understanding how one could feel could mean the difference between life and death."

Doctor David McManus, Medical Director at the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service says: "We welcome any efforts that endeavour to save lives by teaching people how to identify a possible heart attack and encouraging them to call 999 more quickly. We'd rather attend a false alarm than arrive too late."

Supporting the campaign is well-known television presenter Angela Rippon, 64, who lost her father from a heart attack three years ago. She said; "I know exactly how heart breaking it can be to lose a loved one from a heart attack. My message to people is that you owe it to yourselves and your loved ones to tune into ITV1 on August 10. This could be the most important two minutes of television you ever see - I know I'll be watching."

People in Belfast will be able to see a billboard heralding the TV advert from today (Monday 28 July) at Central Railway Station.

For more information, please contact the BHF Northern Ireland Press Office:
Tues to Fri - Marjory Wood, 0131 561 3351, woodm@bhf.org.uk
Mon & Tues - Clare Shaw, 0131 561 3355, shawc@bhf.org.uk
Out of hours please contact the BHF press office on 07764 290381.

Case Studies

Media Fact Sheet

CAMPAIGN KEY MESSAGES

HEART ATTACK FACTS

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NIAS Press Statement - Efficiency Savings and Investment [08/07/08 @ 16:30]

In line with the other five Health and Social Care Trusts, NIAS has been charged with realising efficiency savings over the next three years. In 2008/09 the amount of savings to be delivered has been set at £1,236,000. (See attached table). The budget, allocated to NIAS by DHSSPS and the Health Boards, has already been reduced to take account of these efficiency savings.

NIAS has demonstrated, in our recent drive to respond to 70% of Category A calls within 8 minutes, that our goal of a fast professional paramedic response to life-threatening emergencies is attainable. Funding that was released to help us towards this target last year is available to us through Comprehensive Spending Review investment but, in order to release this money, it is necessary to deliver the required efficiency savings. The improvements planned through CSR investment will not only improve response times but impact positively on patient outcome which remains our main priority.

Efficiency Savings

The DHSSPS requested that proposals for efficiency savings be presented to them for approval.

The proposals put forward by NIAS include the re-profiling of ambulance cover whereby 17,520 hours of current planned ambulance cover will be replaced by 43,800 hours of additional RRV paramedic cover. The net gain of this is 26,280 hours of paramedic response. There may be fewer traditional type ambulances on the road, but the availability of a paramedic response, to the patient, is increased.

There are a number of other areas which will also be addressed to realize savings towards the overall target of £1,236,000. These include the reconfiguration of non-emergency patient transportation, the in-house servicing of fleet and more efficient delivery of training. Further savings will also be realized with the continuation of a targeted programme of absence management and additional savings in administration.

Investment

A Comprehensive Spending Review working group has been established, including staff side representatives, to develop detailed proposals and is due to meet in the week commencing 21 July 08.

The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) aims to redesign the service in the interests of better patient care. It involves parallel processes of improving current operational activity and transforming services to address emerging needs. Over the next three years the money available through the Comprehensive Spending Review totals approximately £12million.

In addition to the investment above linked to emergency ambulance reconfiguration, there are a number of other proposed CSR investments for 2009/10 and 2010/11 that are not directly linked to the efficiency savings in respect of A&E ambulance hours. These proposals, which are currently being pursued with DHSSPS and Health Boards, include

• The roll out of paramedic thrombolysis regionally
• The phased introduction of clinical team leaders to address issues of clinical governance, clinical outcomes, best practice and patient experience
• Alternative ways of dealing with Category C emergency calls that do not necessarily require an ambulance response.

We are also planning to spend approximately £5m per year, over the next three years, on replacing ambulance fleet, defibrillators and estate.

Without doubt there are many opportunities involved in this process for staff to further their careers and improve their professionalism.

However, in the short term, we propose to deliver a reduction in the number of operational ambulance hours in their current format to increase operational RRV hours. We will be examining shift patterns and workplace locations to see how best we can deliver the most effective pre-hospital care possible for the patient within our allocated budget.

With the support of staff, and staff side representatives, we are confident that this can be delivered without the need for compulsory redundancies.

Table: Efficiency Savings to be made and proposed CSR and Capital Investment.

For further information contact:

John McPoland
Communications/Information Officer
NIAS Trust HQ
Knockbracken Healthcare Park
Saintfield Road
Belfast
BT8 8SG

Tel: 02890 400999

DHSSPS Press Release - No cuts to Ambulance Services – McGimpsey [08/07/08 @ 13:30]

Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey said that there are no plans to cut funding for ambulance services.

In fact, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is to benefit from an extra £12million investment over the next three years.

The Minister said: "This significant investment will enable the service to modernise, to respond more quickly to emergency calls and to help provide life-saving services to patients who need it. In addition, further investment of £5million in the ambulance fleet and equipment will permit the replacement of around 20 vehicles per year.

"Over the next three years, measures will be put in place across the Health and Social Care service, including ambulance services, to improve efficiency. I have approved the proposals for NIAS for year one, 2008/09, but I have yet to see and consider their proposals for the subsequent years. However, I must stress that even after these efficiencies have been achieved, it should be noted that there will be a net increase in investment in ambulance services.

"One specific proposal for 2008/09 will see increased numbers of Rapid Response Vehicles which will play a valuable role in responding to emergencies and stabilising patients who may be in potentially life-threatening situations."

The NIAS has been asked to identify realistic proposals on how they will deliver these savings without impacting on services to patients. It is important to note that the performance of the NIAS has improved significantly within the past year with 70% of calls being responded to within 8 minutes during April and May 2008, compared to just 55% in April 2007.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. This year alone, an additional £2.5million will be put into ambulance services, followed by a further £4million in 2009/10 and another £5.6million in 2010/11.

2. The Executive has agreed that all Departments should produce 3% efficiency savings per annum over the next three years to allow additional resources to be recycled to front line services. Individual organisations have been asked to contribute to this target. NIAS has therefore been set targets of £1.2million in 2008/09, /£2.7million in 2009/10 and /£4.4million in 2010/11 across the CSR period. Even after these efficiencies have been achieved, it should be noted that there will be a net investment in ambulance services.

3. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service plays a vital part in the care and treatment of patient. The Department is keen to support them in that role and, in particular to take full advantage of new technologies and other advances to make the service as effective and efficient as possible. For example, earlier this year ambulances were equipped with an Automated Vehicle Location System which, when fully operational, will increase the flexibility of the service to respond to calls.

4. Media enquiries to the DHSSPS press office on 028 9052 0575. Out of hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.