News
05/08/2008
Massive £10,000 boost for Cardiac Support Group
A partnership between IT services company 2e2 and West Surrey Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Club (ICDC) Vice Chairman Trevor Fernandes has resulted a £10,000 donation to ICDC to support them in their important work with patients at Ashford and St. Peter’s and elsewhere
Trevor, who had a Cardioverter Defibrillator implanted in October 2006 worked as a consultant with 2e2. The consultancy fee was a donation to ICDC and that is how they came to be £10,000 better off!
Said Trevor: “I was delighted to be able to make this donation via my work with 2e2. ICDC is a completely self funding group which provides important support for patients, their families and friends so that they can better understand how the implantation of a Cardioverter Defibrillator affects your life. Our West Surrey group would not have achieved so much were it not for the generosity and ongoing support of the West Surrey Cardiac Network, Woking Homes and 2e2.”
2e2 Director Matt Franklin comments: “Trevor’s contribution to our multi million pound project for a major airports operator was significant. We have followed his progress towards full recovery and in discussions with him recognised the valuable work done by Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals and ICDC. Their work in saving and supporting lives puts day to day life into perspective and we were pleased to be able to be associated with such a worthy cause.”
The West Surrey Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Club (ICDC) is a self funding support group run by volunteers. It was formed in January 2007 and currently supports 170 patients who have had internal cardiac defibrillators fitted. More importantly, support is extended to the families and friends of these patients. The support group is run by patients themselves. ICDC is affiliated to Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals and the British Heart Foundation.
Dr Ian Beeton, Consultant Cardiologist at Ashford and St. Peter’s and Patron of ICDC said: “The need to provide support post surgery was compelling, as many patients found themselves being alone, isolated and anxious about future prospects after leaving hospital. In addition their partners, family and friends are often unable to cope with the change in circumstances and the day to day management of this condition. Thus the support provided by ICDC is so important and puts the human factor back into what can be quite a traumatic and difficult experience for patients, their families and friends.”
Whilst still early in our development, the ICDC Support Group has had very positive feedback from patients, cardiac specialists and doctors. They produce four newsletters per year for their members. The newsletter which illustrates the group’s aims and also highlights the way in which they seek to support their members. The committee members are all patients & volunteers, whose previous roles in the community allow them to bring a unique blend of skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to the team.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. Media enquiries to the Trust Press Office on 01932-722163 or email andy.hollebon@asph.nhs.uk. Pictures of the handing over of the £10,000 to ICDC are available on request. For more information about 2e2 please visit www.2e2.com or contact Natalie Bruins, Marketing Manager. on 01635-568000 or e-mail natalie.Bruins@2e2.com
2. 2e2 is an IT managed services and solutions provider. 2e2’s vision is to be a company whose integrity, performance, quality and care for its customers and employees is second to none. Its expertise, passion, innovation and agility will differentiate it and ensure it is the partner of choice. 2e2 was established in 2002 and has grown into one of the most respected and high-quality IT services providers in the UK and the Netherlands. 2e2 provides an extensive portfolio aligned across five principal areas of business:
• Managed services: remote, on-site and co-sourced managed support
• Business application services: around Oracle, PeopleSoft and Microsoft Dynamics
• Unified communications: IP Telephony, video, messaging & collaboration
• Technology solutions: Data management, security, resilience & virtualisation
• Service and asset management: ITIL consulting & service management solutions
3. Ashford & St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust is a medium sized district general hospital service operating from two sites - Ashford near Staines and St. Peter’s near Chertsey. The Trust employs just over 3,000 staff (excluding contractors such as catering) making it one of the largest employers in the local area after Heathrow Airport. Ashford & St. Peter’s is at Level 2 on the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (a risk management scheme for insurance) and is a ‘two ticks’ employer with ‘Practice Plus’ status under the Department of Health’s Improving Working Lives (www.doh.gov.uk/iwl) initiative. Further information about the Trust can be found at www.ashfordstpeters.nhs.uk.
4. ICD stands for ‘implantable cardioverter defibrillator’. An ICD system is made up of (a) a pulse generator, and (b) one, two or three electrode leads. A modern pulse generator is slightly larger than a small matchbox and weighs about 75 grams (3 ounces). It contains a battery-powered electronic circuit in a sealed unit. The pulse generator is usually connected to the inside of the heart by one or more electrode leads which pass through a vein. These are very fine, flexible wires, covered in plastic or silicone rubber. The ICD constantly monitors your heart rhythm. If it senses that a rhythm disturbance is beginning, it can deliver one of the following treatments:
• If the rhythm disturbance is not too serious, the ICD delivers a short series of low-voltage electrical impulses (paced beats) which will often correct the heartbeat without the need for any further action. This is called pacing.
• If the ICD senses an irregular heartbeat which needs an electrical shock, it can deliver a light electrical shock known as cardioversion.
• If this doesn’t work, or if the ICD senses a more serious rhythm disturbance, the ICD will deliver a bigger electrical shock to your heart in order to stop the abnormal beating and get the heart rhythm back to normal. This bigger electrical shock is known as defibrillation. There is usually a delay of between 3 and 12 seconds between the ICD detecting an abnormal heart rhythm and delivering the electrical shock. In a small number of cases, more than one shock is needed.
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