23rd December 1997

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One in ten people waiting for cardiac surgery in Northern Ireland will die before they reach the operating table.

That is one of the findings of research carried out by University of Ulster into how Northern Ireland's lengthy waiting list for heart bypass surgery affects patients with chronic heart problems.

Carried out by lecturer Deirdre Fitzsimons, the study also found that many patients experience severe physical and mental stress because of the long delay between disagnosis and eventual surgery.

Ms Fitzsimons interviewed 70 people from throughout the Province at three intervals - when they were added to the surgery waiting list; after six months; and after a year.

Major findings were:

• patients were very anxious when their heart problems were first diagnosed - and told that theey would have to wait for up to a year for an operation to cure the problem
• after six months they began to come to terms with their condition, and had begun to manage more effectively the stress of waiting
  
• at 12 months, patients began to feel very upset. They generally felt forgotten about, neglected and let down. The believed that medical professionals had gone back on their word and had not supplied enough information about when their operation was due to be performed.

As well as mental problems of stress and anxiety, Ms Fitzsimons said that "The pain (of their condition) left many people unable to work, and they were consequently bored and suffering from a loss of self-esteem. Many were also physically unable to do things there were able to do before their heart disease was diagnosed, like hobbies and pastimes.

"The patients examined experienced higher levels of mood disturbance and anxiety than other people with chronic illnesses"

Ms Fitzsimons said the study, grant-aided by the NI Chest Heart and Stroke Association, had enabled doctors and nurses working in cardiology departments to become more aware of how patients felt about their condition.

Belfast City Hospital now runs a one-day advice and support service for patients awaiting surgery and a hot line has now been set up throughwhich patients can get professional help to cope with and difficulties that may arise.

But Fitzsimons also found that 50 of the patient she interviewed had stillnot received their operation after 12 months. "They felt as if they had falen between two several stools. They had gone to their GP initially, and then been referred to a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon. But at the end of the day no-one seemed to be able to give them a definite date for their operation.

"They felt trapped in a vicious circle"

Notes for editors

In November 1997 there were 543 people on the waiting list for cardiac surgery at the RVH - the only hospital in NI which carries our cardiac surgery.

The average length of time people had been waiting for an operation was 237 days.

In the last financial year, the five RVH cardiac surgeons carried out 1080 operations.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk