Chest & Heart restarts

Monday 22 June 2020

Guernsey's Chest & Heart service, which had to close during lockdown, has reopened for routine screenings.

The building was completely refurbished last year and the team had only been operational there for a few months when the corona virus pandemic took hold.

The premises were put to good use throughout the crisis but the Primary Care team, who took over the building so they could separate patients with suspected covid-19.

"Being able to move into a purpose built, brand new clinical premises that was adapted for people with disabilities and had plenty of space to accommodate the necessary health and safety precautions that were in place at the time, was hugely appreciated and was not an insignificant factor in the island being able to enter Phase Five so quickly," said a spokesperson for Primary Care.

During the three months of lockdown, the Chest & Heart unit would usually have seen more than 600 patients - 5-10% of whom would have been referred urgently to their GP.

Anyone who was due to have an appointment during lockdown will be contacted by the centre to arrange a new time.

"We understand that some people, even though we are now in Phase Five, will still feel nervous about coming into a clinical environment, especially if they have an existing medical condition," said Centre Manager, Carolyn Oxburgh. "We would like to reassure them that we are taking every step to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

"Following the handover from Primary Care, the centre had a deep clean that even included the inside of the kettle! We are staggering appointments so that clients aren't sharing a space and each clinic nurse has their own designated room that is rigorously cleaned between appointments.

"Most importantly, we are looking forward to seeing familiar and new faces at the centre as we get the service back on track, helping to protect people's health during what are very stressful times for everyone."

Patients won't be able to book new appointments for a few weeks while the team work through their backlog. Those wishing to book are advised to call 237261 in a month's time.

Donations to the centre can be made through the Chest & Heart's website.

Pictured: The team at the Chest & Heart service.