Cardiac Services Network Structure
The Cardiac Services Network is managed by the Cardiac Coordinating Committee which is Co-Chaired by Professor Peter Fletcher and Ms Karen Lintern and the group meets every 8 weeks. Clinicians from the metropolitan hospitals, consumer participants and representatives from the NSW Ambulance Service attend the meetings.
A number of working groups have met separately to review specific issues such as access to drug eluting stents, funding for implantable cardiac defibrillators and the provision of primary angioplasty services.
The wider Network includes more than 120 people from related cardiac specialities and allied health staff including cardiac technicians and sonographers. The group also links to rural cardiac clinicians who participate in meetings via teleconference twice a year.
The Cardiac Coordinating Committee has been involved with the NSW Department of Health Cardiac Clinical Redesign Program which aims to improve access to services throughout NSW. This program will be implemented throughout NSW from 2006-2008.