Heart rhythm management

This project looks at activity and trends in pacing, ICD and cardiac ablation practice in UK hospitals. Details of the type of procedures performed, who the procedure is performed by, technical success of each type of procedure and outcomes including potential complications is collected and analysed.

Cardiac pacemakers have been implanted in the UK since the early 1960s and have been identified, along with hip replacements, as the most cost effective high volume procedures provided in the NHS.

They can be simple or complex, using one or two electrodes, according to clinical need.

Cardiac ablation is a specialist electrophysiological procedure used to eradicate or modify certain heart rhythm abnormalities.

The project was developed to monitor the implementation of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (2000).

Aims of the audit

The main aim of this project is to improve the care of patients who undergo pacemaker, ICD and cardiac ablation procedures in the United Kingdom.

• to improve the care of patients who undergo pacemaker, ICD and cardiac ablation procedures in the UK
• to look at activity, trends and outcomes in pacing, ICD and cardiac ablation practice in UK hospitals
• to provide assessment of treatments, evaluate associated risk factors and measure long term survival rates of patients who undergo pacemaker, ICD and cardiac ablation procedures in the UK
• to continue to collect and develop the presentation of data from pacemaker, ICD and electrophysiology centres in the United Kingdom
• to provide new analyses and outputs of the data as defined by the clinical group
• to receive process and present performance management of audit data.

Organisation of the audit

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) and Heart Rhythm UK are carrying out the audit. The HSCIC's National Clinical Audit Support Programme (NCASP) has been contracted to provide the running of this audit and IT infrastructure.

The National Clinical Audit Support Programme at the NHS Information Centre

<< Back to Current Audits Cardiac