Heart failure services (outpatients) referrals

Access is via Choose & Book. The following clinicians are responsible for outpatient and inpatient heart failure services.

• Prof Hugh Watkins (Cardiomyopathy Genetics)
• Prof Shuomo Bhattacharya
• Dr Jeremy Dwight (Clinical Lead)
• Dr Ian Arnold (Horton General Hospital)

Patients with a suspected diagnosis of heart failure can be referred either to a general cardiology clinic or specifically to the heart failure clinic (Thursday pm) via Choose & Book.

Where echocardiography alone or advice is required please use the email advice line. For patients known to the heart failure service, either contact the clinicians directly (fax or email) or the Heart Failure Nurse Specialist.

Criteria for referral to secondary care

The following criteria (NICE guidelines 2003) apply to referral for patients to secondary care with an established diagnosis of heart failure.

• Heart failure due to valve disease, diastolic dysfunction or any other cause except LV systolic dysfunction.
• Severe heart failure (NYHA Class III/IV).
• Heart failure that does not respond to treatment as discussed in the NICE guidelines.
• When there are significant co-morbidities (e.g. renal disease).
• Angina, atrial fibrillation or other symptomatic arrhythmia.
• Women who are planning a pregnancy or who are pregnant.
• Heart failure that can no longer be managed effectively in the home setting.

Follow-up protocol for the community heart failure team

The Oxfordshire community heart failure service

The Oxfordshire community heart failure service was developed in conjunction with the heart failure service at the John Radcliffe and Horton General hospitals to provide support for the management of heart failure patients in the community. The community team will provide education and facilitate treatment protocols for heart failure patients

Criteria for referral to the community heart failure team are as follows.

• Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction must be confirmed by echocardiogram.
• New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification grade III/IV.
• Patients requiring palliative care for heart failure.
• (Patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular function will be considered if the patients have been reviewed in secondary care by a cardiologist.)

Contact details

• Fax for all of the South: 01865 787184
• Fax for Banbury and the North: 01295 819111
  

Referral form / letter / telephone call.

Ask receptionist to fax patient summary and list of medications.