New bus brings life changing care to residents in Warwickshire

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust has opened a heart failure community nursing service bus to treat residents in the community.

The new service will see the nursing team take their expertise into the heart of the community that George Eliot Hospital serves, providing potentially lifesaving care, checks, interventions and information to the people who need it. 

The bus was opened last month at Stockingford Community Centre in Nuneaton. Doing the honours and cutting the ribbon fell to Frank Hern and Jean Gardner, two patients whose lives have been turned around by the treatment of the heart failure team at George Eliot. 

They spoke about what the team had done for them and how excited they were to see the bus roll out in order to help many more people. 

Jean said: “When I first heard about the bus, I thought it would be fantastic, and now to see it come to fruition and be part of this event I am privileged and honoured and will take this with me forever.” 

The new bus is the brainchild of Emma West-Eggar, Heart Failure Service Nurse Lead and Advanced Clinical Practitioner, supported by the wider Heart Failure team and Wendy Fox, Deputy Operations Manager for Medicine at George Eliot Hospital. 

They have worked alongside community groups, like the Stockingford Community Centre to ensure that the new service will be able to make a difference. 

The service will also be reaching out to the wider public across North Warwickshire with the bus attending local events as part of a heart health roadshow.

From conception, to unveiling, and now into visiting sites across the area, the project has all been about making it easier for patients to access essential and expert services in a comfortable environment without having to travel to hospital.

Consultant Cardiologist Dr Shoaib Siddiqui, who was also instrumental in the development of the service, joined the team at the unveiling, highlighting how the bus serves as an excellent model for bringing healthcare services into the community, helping to reduce health inequalities for those who may have not been able to access care previously. 

Recently elected MP for Nuneaton, Jodie Gosling, also attended the event and spoke on how community healthcare is vital to breaking down barriers and providing people with early checks to prevent more serious health issues.

More information on where the bus will visit will be shared by George Eliot Hospital at www.geh.nhs.uk/healthyhearts.