A BLOOD test for patients with suspected heart failure will be available in GPs' surgeries across Darlington and the Durham Dales from May.
The one-year pilot scheme, due to be introduced in all surgeries shortly, has been secured with a bid of just over £25,000 from the NHS Coronary Heart Disease Development Workforce Fund.
The test, used to detect the presence of B-type natriuretic peptide, or BNP, in the blood, is part of Darlington Primary Care Trust's drive towards a comprehensive heart failure service.
Currently suspected heart failure patients are referred to hospital or to the one-stop heart failure diagnostic clinic at Darlington Memorial Hospital for the blood test to be taken.
From May, GPs who suspect a patient may be in heart failure can take a blood sample in the surgery, send it to the hospital laboratory for analysis and expect a result back in three to four days.
If the result shows no or little indication of BNP, heart failure can be ruled out. If BNP is above the action limit, then the patient can be referred immediately to the heart failure service.
Dr Ahmet Fuat, heart failure specialist GP who runs the diagnostic clinic at the Memorial Hospital, told the D&S Times it was another welcome diagnostic tool for GPs.
He said: "About 40-60pc of patients currently referred by GPs do not have heart failure.
"This test is another diagnostic tool for GPs which could cut down referrals and free up cardiology appointment time.
"We will have to teach GPs how to use the test appropriately and, once we have another research nurse, we will be going out to all practices in Darlington and the Durham Dales to do just that."
Heart failure specialist nurse Vikki Duffy, who works for Darlington Primary Care Trust, added: "Some people get very anxious and this test will keep them out of hospital if they don't need to be there.
"If they do, it will get them into the system quicker for a full assessment."
Darlington's heart failure service was highly commended in the Northern and Yorkshire modernisation awards in recognition of the rapid assessment, diagnosis, symptom management and home-based care service provided.
Symptoms of heart failure, which does not always result in a heart attack, include breathlessness, lethargy and swollen ankles, although these vary from person to person.
"Heart failure is a scary term and part of my role is to dispel the myths surrounding it," said Ms Duffy
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