Wendy’s lifesaving card

Last updated 05:13, Friday, 31 October 2008

A Carlisle nurse could be saving lives from afar thanks to a new initiative. The Heart Failure Alert Card is the brainchild of Wendy Borradaile, a staff nurse at Cumberland Infirmary, and could help those suffering from heart failure receive emergency treatment.

Brainwave: Staff nurse Wendy Borradaile had the original idea

Sufferers will be able to carry around lifesaving information such as their details, consultant’s name and emergency contact numbers, on a card the size of a credit card.

The new initiative will be adopted as part of the hospital’s Advancing Quality agenda, which aims to give patients a better experience and quality of life.

Consultant cardiologist Kate Willmer said: “I thought this was a fantastic idea and offers real reassurance to patients with heart failure.

“The card is small enough to put inside a wallet and can be carried about easily and it can help with lots of communication issues.

“We’ve adopted if for our Advancing Quality agenda as improving the quality of service for heart failure is one of the main areas that we are focusing on.”