Patients in need of life-saving pacemaker implantation services on the Mid North Coast will no longer need to travel to Sydney or Newcastle.
Coffs Harbour Health Campus is now providing the procedure to patients.
NSW Minister for Health, Ryan Park said the new service will ease the burden on patients.
“I am really pleased patients living in Coffs Harbour and the surrounding communities will now be able to access most of their healthcare needs close to home,” Mr Park said.
“Offering this specialist treatment at Coffs Harbour Health Campus not only benefits the patients – but also their wider support networks – as they are able to be close to their families while they recover.”
Mid North Coast Local Health District Chief Executive, Stewart Dowrick said this will be the first pacemaker service offered in Mid North Coast public hospitals.
“We’ve been planning to deliver pacemakers locally for many years and I’m excited we can now finally offer it to our local communities across the Mid North Coast,” Mr Dowrick said.
“It will remove the inconvenience of patients, in most instances, needing to travel outside the district to have a pacemaker inserted which can be a great impost, particularly for the elderly and seriously unwell who don’t have family or a support network nearby.”
Cardiologist, Dr Austin May will perform the pacemaker implant procedures at Coffs Harbour Health Campus, supported by a small specialist team.
A pacemaker insertion is the implantation of a small electronic device within the chest to help regulate the heartbeat when problems occur with the heart’s electrical conduction system.
It is usually performed as day surgery for which the patient remains awake, and the recovery time is typically relatively short.
The specialist team will also be able to undertake pacemaker battery replacements and other minor procedures associated with the use of a pacemaker.
Coffs Clinical Network’s Director of Cardiology Services Dr Ben Lambert said the new service would lead to a vast improvement and enhancement of the cardiology services in the area.
“Coffs Harbour Health Campus is evolving into a genuine, mature teaching hospital,” Dr Lambert said.
Coffs Harbour MP, Gurmesh Singh extended his thanks for former Minister for Regional Health, Bronnie Taylor, for her efforts to secure the service.
“I know the Minister for Regional Health in the former Coalition Government, Bronnie Taylor, worked extremely hard securing this service for our community, and I thank the current Minister for Health, Ryan Park, for his ongoing support of this initiative,” said Mr Singh.
“It’s exciting news indeed that communities across the Mid North Coast will now be able to access this procedure right here on their doorstep.
“I’ve worked closely with Coffs Harbour cardiologist Dr Austin May to help ensure this procedure is being made available at our local hospital. I congratulate Dr May on his tireless advocacy which has helped make it reality,” he said.
It is estimated around 100 pacemaker implants will be undertaken annually.
