As part of the implementation of the building healthier hearts strategy I am committed to the commencement of a pilot study of a hospital based heart attack register this year. My Department is represented on the national steering group which has developed a proposal for this pilot and agreed with the Southern Health Board to be the pilot area.
The national steering group and the Southern Health Board have agreed to commence the pilot project in two hospitals in the Southern Health Board region and to be extended to the eight hospitals over a short period of time.
My Department has recently received a submission for funding for the pilot project from the Southern Health Board which is receiving immediate and priority attention.
I hope to make an announcement on the matter in the near future.