In this section
The Acute Cardiac Centre is a 19-bedded ward adjacent to the Manchester Heart Centre and Cardiac Catheterisation laboratories. We are a tertiary referral centre receiving patients from across the North West and Wales. We are part of the regional Primary Percutaneous Intervention service in which we receive patients who are having a Heart Attack and offer them emergency angioplasty.
The ward provides same-sex accommodation. Where possible we do use different ends of the unit for male and female patients and offer separate showering facilities. There are full monitoring facilities at each bed using SpaceLab telemetry which can provide invasive and non-invasive monitoring.
What happens on arrival on the unit?
On admission to the unit you will be welcomed by one of our nurses who will help you settle into the bed area. After receiving a handover, the nurse will then assess you and discuss the plan of care with you and your family.
Patients are advised not to bring large amounts of personal belongings to the ward as space is limited. Please leave valuables at home as we cannot take responsibility for them.
Please make sure you bring: toiletries, pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers and a towel.
If you are having an elective procedure then you will have been seen in pre-admission clinic where the team will have explained the procedure to you and answered any questions you may have had.
It is a very busy ward so you may be asked to wait in our dayroom until a bed becomes available.
What will normally happen during my stay?
Every patients’ plan of care is individual however most of our patients can expect daily ECG’s, daily blood tests, regular blood pressure monitoring and an echo scan of their heart. You will be reviewed daily by a Consultant cardiologist or their specialist registrar. Most patients stay between 24 and 72 hours. However, recovery can sometimes be slower or some of our patients need extra help so may stay for a little longer.
It may be possible to arrange accommodation for your relatives in Cobbett House. This can be arranged through the nurse in charge.
When well enough, patients are usually discharged to our cardiology/cardiothoracic step down ward (wards 3 and 4) or back to your own local district General Hospital.
Our Team
During your stay you will be looked after by our team of nurses. The nurse looking after you will introduce himself or herself to you at the beginning of every shift. The nurses are highly skilled in acute cardiology nursing and can offer a range of services including: ECG monitoring, Inotropic support, Intra-aortic balloon pumps, CPAP, Telemetry, Temporary pacing wires, arterial lines, Cardiac rehabilitation and psychological support.
Other members of staff you may meet are:
- Ward Manager (Navy blue uniform)
- Junior sisters/charge nurses (royal blue uniform)
- Band 5 nurses (pale blue uniform)
- Assistant Practitioners (dark green uniform)
- Clinical Support Workers (pale blue uniform)
- Housekeeper (purple uniform)
- Ward Clerk
Visiting Information
- If you are undergoing an elective procedure you may bring one relative to stay with you all day. Please note that they will be asked to leave during meal times.
- Visiting times are 2.00 pm – 8.00 pm unless prior arrangement made with the nurse in charge.
- We ensure patients have protected meal times therefore there is no visiting from 12.00 – 1.00 pm and then we have a rest time from 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm
- You will be asked to leave the ward at approximately 5.00 pm for 30 minutes whilst the patients receive their evening meal.
- We limit the number of visitors to two per bed. Please ensure you return your chairs to where they are stored on leaving the unit.
- We discourage young children from visiting.
- Please ask your visitors to wait until you are home to bring you flowers or plants.
- Infection control is a high priority so please adhere to our Infection Control Policy by asking your visitors to wash their hands when entering and leaving the ward and making sure they don’t sit on your bed or chair.
Contact Details
Nurses’ Stations – 0161 276 4200 / 4499 / 5721 / 4595
Ward Clerk – 0161 276 6159
It would be helpful to the nursing staff to limit telephone calls to the ward by designating a member of the family to phone the ward for an update and disseminate the information out.