New clinics improving safety and saving months of waiting for potential heart patients
The team at the Rapid Access Angina Clinic
New ‘rapid access’ clinics believed to be the first of their kind nationally are helping to diagnose people with heart conditions quicker across Lincolnshire.
The Rapid Access Angina Clinics allow patients to undergo the specialist consultation they need, including an ECG test and an examination by a clinician, before having further, more detailed CT scans the same day, if necessary.
Previously, patients would have had to wait for a referral and separate appointment for each step of the process, meaning it could take up to an estimated nine months from the initial referral to receiving CT scan results, and multiple hospital visits, for their diagnosis.
The changes made to create these new one-stop clinics by the cardiology team from United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, with support from radiology and community diagnostic centre teams, mean most patients are now being seen and have their results within approximately one month from referral.
Maria Hobden, Nurse Consultant in Cardiology, said: “We’ve looked at every single part of the patient journey to make it easier, quicker and safer for them to get the care that they need.
“We wanted to make sure patients felt more informed from the point of their initial referral to their diagnosis with improved information, and made it safer for those who are potentially at high risk by getting them to the right care quicker.
“We are not aware of any other NHS trust delivering clinics in this way and we’re really proud of the improvements we have made which are already making a difference to our patients.”
Clinics are taking place at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham Community Diagnostic Centre and Skegness Community Diagnostic Centre.
David Edwards, from Chapel St Leonards, was the first patient to be seen at the Rapid Access Angina Clinic at Skegness Community Diagnostic Centre in October 2025.
Mr Edwards had initially visited his GP with what he thought might be indigestion, but was referred to the hospital Cardiology team to be checked for angina.
Mr Edwards, 63, attended his appointment on a Tuesday morning where he was examined and had an ECG test. He was asked to return the same afternoon for a CT scan of his coronary arteries and, within a couple of hours, was telephoned to ask if he could immediately attend Lincoln County Hospital’s Heart Centre. The scan had found a severely blocked artery, leaving Mr Edwards at significant risk of a heart attack.
He had a stent fitted the next day, and was discharged from hospital the day after his surgery.
He said: “I honestly thought it would just be indigestion. I never expected I would end up in hospital the same day. It has all been unbelievably quick; like a baton race going from one part to the next but the care has been absolutely fantastic. When I came out of surgery, the surgeon told me he was amazed I had not had a heart attack. It shows just how critical it was.
“It’s been very reassuring to have been seen so quickly. I have very mixed emotions when I think about what the alternative could have been.”