UUP Delivering & Investing for Northern Ireland

Ulster Unionist MLA John McCallister has congratulated his colleague Health Minister Michael McGimpsey for what he has described as "delivering and investing for the people of Northern Ireland.

Commenting as the Health Minister announced a promise towards new standards and equal care for heart disease patients across NI the South Down MLA said; "Today my colleague has published new standards for the treatment and care of people suffering and at risk from cardiovascular disease. This is once again, the UUP delivering and investing in a critical service and it will be widely welcomed by clinicians and patients alike."

"It is an unfortunate reality diseases such as angina, heart attack and heart failure account for one in three deaths here in Northern Ireland. The Ministers steps will help in trying to reduce this number."

Cardiovascular disease is the class of diseases that involves the heart or blood vessels, including diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Speaking on a visit to the Knockbreda Centre in Belfast, the Minister McGimpsey said: "We know that 76,000 people suffer from coronary heart disease, while around 60,000 adults are living with diabetes and almost 4,000 people in Northern Ireland are affected by stroke."

Outlining the specific services that will be provided within Health and Care Centres and local GP practices, Michael McGimpsey said: "GPs and nurses in local surgeries are nearly always the first health professionals that patients turn to for advice about illness. They therefore have an important part to play in the delivery of this framework. GPs and nurses will help people to give up smoking and will provide advice to patients on how to reduce their blood pressure. The local surgery will routinely manage heart failure and stroke patients. GP's will also provide advice to people who are at risk of developing peripheral vascular disease."

ENDS…