Who are we?
The network has two adult cardiac nurse specialist (CNS) teams, one based at the Bristol Heart Institute (BHI), supporting adult CHD patients in the South West peninsula and one based at Cardiff and Vale Hospital, supporting adult CHD patients in South Wales. Patients attending outreach clinics will also receive support from the clinical nurse specialist teams.
Both teams are comprised of experienced nurses who work as part of the wider multidisciplinary team to provide ongoing information, advice, and support to adults with a congenital heart condition, and their relatives/carers. Both teams work closely together to ensure seamless care for Welsh patients who come to Bristol for surgery and catheter procedures, these patients may continue to receive ongoing follow up from their local level 2 centre (Cardiff) or level 3 centre (district general hospital).
When will you meet us?
The CNS teams provide a point of contact (advice telephone line and email for clinical queries) for Adult CHD patients, their families/carers, and allied health professionals, and offer advice and information as follows:
- •Advocate for all CHD patients
- •Surgical/cardiology issues and general clinical queries
- •Transition (transferring from the children's hospital to adult services)
- •Support for patients with a learning disability
- •Psychological support (ACHD psychologist also available)
- •Lifestyle advice
- •Living with a lifelong condition
- •Financial / employment and education issues
- •Contraception and pregnancy
- •End of life support
When you are staying in hospital - The CNS teams support patients when they are admitted into hospital and throughout their stay in the level 2 centre (Cardiff) and the level 1 centre (Bristol).
At your outpatient clinic appointments - these include:
- •Nurse led pre assessment clinics (for cardiology/ cardiac surgery procedures)
- •Nurse led follow up clinic (for clinical and lifestyle support)
- •Consultant clinics (new and follow up patients)
- •Young persons' clinic
- •Cardiac obstetric clinic
The CNS team also offer an ongoing education programme for nursing staff who are involved in the care of our ACHD patients, work collaboratively to promote awareness of CHD, inform standards of care and enhance patient experience across our network.
How to contact us
Cardiff ACHD Clinical Nurse Specialist team
Phone: 029 2184 4580
Email: achdnurse.cav@wales.nhs.uk
South Wales ACHD bitesize briefings
- Spring 2022
- February 2023 - Heart Month
