Private cardiac diagnostic clinic opens in Lerwick
Local people concerned about their heart health can now access private cardiac diagnostic testing in Lerwick through Island Heart Clinic.
Cardiac physiologist Sean Thuis opened the clinic in the Toll Clock shopping centre earlier this summer, with the aim of providing a fast, affordable and patient-focused diagnostic service.
With more than 20 years’ experience as a cardiac physiologist, Thuis said the clinic is designed around detailed assessment, rapid access and giving patients more time to discuss their symptoms and understand their results.
From his clinic in the Toll Clock, Thuis has been offering echocardiograms, ambulatory ECG monitoring from one to seven days, and heart health assessments since June this year.
The Island Heart Clinic is open to anyone who is concerned about, or simply interested in, their heart health.
“My unique selling point is speed of access,” Thuis said.
“I can normally see people within a few days, and I also like to give people plenty of time to express how and what they are feeling, and I get time with them to explain the results of their tests in plain English.”
Registered with the Academy for Healthcare Science, Thuis said private cardiac diagnostic services are already well established elsewhere in the UK.
“We already have that kind of choice with dentists, podiatry and physiotherapists up here, so this is just another form of choice, essentially,” he said.
Following an assessment, Thuis produces a detailed technical report which is provided to the patient and can also be shared with their GP.
Where further specialist assessment is required, the clinic also has a relationship with Aberdeen-based private consultant cardiologist Dr Duncan Hogg, who can accept referrals and see patients remotely by video consultation or telephone.
Thuis said he has deliberately tried to keep the cost of investigations at a fair and reasonable level.
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An echocardiogram costs £285, while a 24-hour ambulatory ECG costs £175.
“I wanted to be in a position not to be earning what I could, but what I felt was fair and reasonable in order to make the service accessible to as many people as possible,” he said.
As awareness of the clinic has grown through word of mouth and social media, Thuis said he has seen a steady increase in the number of people using the service.
The clinic currently operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with appointments typically available within a few days.
Encouraged by the initial response, Thuis hopes to expand the range of services available over the coming months.
Plans include introducing private phlebotomy services, allowing patients to have blood tests carried out locally.
He also plans to introduce exercise testing, using treadmill or bicycle testing to assess how the cardiovascular system responds to exertion and to help investigate appropriate symptoms.
The Island Heart Clinic can be contacted by email at info@islandheartclinic.co.uk, by WhatsApp on 07901 341438, or through its website at islandheartclinic.co.uk.
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