Heart care for patients is now being provided from an enhanced environment thanks to a new cardiac pacing suite opening at Stepping Hill Hospital.

The new suite was officially opened for patients with the help of former top footballer Steve McManaman. Famous for playing for England, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Real Madrid, Steve is now a familiar face on TV as a commentator and UEFA Ambassador. He cut the ribbon to open the new unit together with unit staff and the heads of the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s Division of Medicine and Urgent Care which runs the suite.

The new cardiac pacing suite is now providing investigations as well as procedures for patients with a wide array of suspected heart conditions, in a modern, safe and purpose-built environment. Services provided include pacemaker implantations and box changes, diagnostics, pre-operative clinics, and echocardiograms.

As well as providing more services, the new suite is larger, with easier direct access to the recovery area from the lab, improved staff facilities in terms of layout and aesthetics, and new cardiac monitoring screens and surgical panels which can control humidity and temperature in the lab. It also includes an additional consultation room which allows the team to hold face-to -face pre-operative and wound check clinics, and an extra diagnostic room to undertake outpatient investigations.

Around 1600 patients will be taking diagnostic tests in the new suite each year, and around 600 patients undergoing procedures either as inpatients or outpatients. 

Mark Scott, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust Clinical Director for Cardiology Services said “It’s fantastic that the new cardiac pacing suite unit is now up and running, and providing the high quality treatment and diagnosis which our patients need.  With an enhanced lab and expansion of our diagnostic capacity the cardiac pacing suite will support us in meeting our increasing demand. We’d like to say a big thank you to Steve McManaman for lending his support to the opening of this fantastic new unit.”