Advice and guidance is available and encouraged.

Echocardiography triage resource (British Society of Echocardiography)

Transthoracic echocardiography is an essential test in the evaluation of patients with suspected structural and functional cardiac conditions. When used appropriately it facilitates rapid diagnosis and timely intervention for patients. The British Society of Echocardiography has previously issued detailed guidance, aimed at hospital and specialist referrers, regarding the indications for, and optimal timing of, outpatient, inpatient, and critical care transthoracic echocardiography. 

However, the society also recognises that very often the most useful information in primary care is to know the clinical conditions in which transthoracic echocardiography is not routinely indicated at the time of initial clinical contact. These conditions are grouped by symptom or clinical finding in a primary care triaging poster for rapid reference by GPs for use in primary care settings. This guidance is not intended to override clinical judgment in individual cases and has chiefly been created to support situations where clinical judgement favours avoiding further investigation. 

• Primary care triaging poster: Conditions in which an echocardiogram has low clinical yield from primary care (BSE, April 2021)

Area specific guidance for Camden

In the last few years, Camden CCG has focused successfully on increasing our prevalence rates of heart failure with good outcomes. Following a review, the community clinics have been streamlined and all referrals should now be made to the Community Heart Failure Service due to the closure of the CICS Heart Failure Service.

Advice and guidance is available and encouraged.

Area specific guidance for Barnet

All cardiology advice and guidance queries must be submitted via eRS. Responses should be received within 3 working days.

Please ensure that you upload copies of all diagnostic reports, clinic letters etc, when submitting your Advice and Guidance query. Queries relating to ECGs, 24 hour tapes, Echos and BP monitoring results are particularly suitable for Advice and Guidance submission.