Specialty - Cardiology
Overview
Cardiology is the specialty within medicine that looks at the heart and associated blood vessels. Your heart consists of four chambers, which are responsible for pumping blood associated to your lungs and the rest of your body. The study of the heart includes the heart muscle (the myocardium), the valves within the heart between the chambers, the blood vessels that supply blood (and hence oxygen and nutrients) to the heart muscle, and the electrical system of the heart controlling the heart rate and rhythm.
If you have an urgent problem requiring immediate cardiological assessment you are referred
acutely by your GP to the Cardiology Department where you will initially be seen by the Registrar (trainee specialist) who will decide whether you need to be admitted to hospital. Investigations will be performed as required, and the more senior members of the team involved where necessary.
If the problem is not urgent, your GP will write a letter to the Cardiology Department requesting an appointment in the outpatient clinic. Each month the Department receives more referrals than can be seen in clinic. One of the consultant cardiologists working in the Department reviews these letters to determine who should be seen first, based on the information provided by the GP.
Very urgent cases are usually seen within a few weeks, but other cases may have to wait a longer time. Sometimes the cardiologist will organise an investigation rather than arranging a clinic appointment. The result of the investigation will be sent to your GP and a specialist appointment will be arranged if needed.
Once a diagnosis has been made, the medical staff will discuss treatment with you. They will write to your GP with advice and may or may not arrange for you to attend a follow-up clinic.
Consultants
Dr Jonathan Tisch
Dr Calum Young
Dr Graeme Porter
Dr Stuart Tie
Dr Dean Boddington
Referral / First Specialist Assessment
A threshold for FSA referral acceptance has been set to assist with MOH waiting time compliance. Routinely, category 4 referrals are not accepted.
Contact Details
Postal: Referral Receipt Centre, BOPDHB, Private Bag 12024, Tauranga 3142
Fax: 07 578 1247
Phone: 0800 333 477