The Rapid access chest pain clinic is based in Cardiac Investigations department in the Lancashire Cardiac Centre. Patients are seen in the clinic for early assessment of chest pain to determine if there is any heart disease present.
Referrals are received from general practitioners (GPs) and the Emergency Department (A&E). Patients are then seen within two weeks of their referral being received. During the appointment, patients are clinically assessed, examined by the doctor or specialist nurse. If appropriate, the patient will then be asked to do an exercise stress test (see Investigations). Following this test the patient will either be discharged back to GPs or referred for further tests/ follow up.
The rapid access chest pain clinic team incorporates a cardiology registrar, nurse practitioner/specialist, cardiac physiologists and a clinic secretary.