Heart patients treatment closer to home

Bexhill Hospital now has a fully-equipped cardiology clinic, thanks to gifts from its League of Friends, Hooe Michaelmas Fair Committee and a bequest by a former patient.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Richard Wray is delighted that his aim to provide Bexhill patients with a truly local service without the need to make the journey to his main clinic at the Conquest Hospital at Hastings.

League chairman Jan Wicks and vice chairman Peter Mitchell-Davis were given a conducted tour of the Bexhill cardiology clinic last Thursday by Dr Wray and cardiac technician Sean Gaughan.

A 30,507 bequest by former patient Gilbert Daw helped the league to provide a 77,826 echo cardiograph machine to the hospital last year. The League of Friends has given 25,000 to equip and refurbish the clinic.

Equipment includes a blood pressure monitor which can be loaned to patients to give a 24-hour read-out under home conditions. The monitor was provided from part of the proceeds of last September's Hooe Michaelmas Fair.

Dr Wray told his guests: "This facility is absolutely vital in expanding the cardio-vascular service we provide to the population of Bexhill.

"We already provide a strong service and we plan to strengthen this even further.

"We have clinics here every Wednesday and Thursday and plan more."

The decision to undertake what is a large off-shoot of the Conquest service was taken because of the high number of heart patients in Bexhill and the availability of cash help for the necessary equipment