The Midland and Western health boards have linked up in a new project to help reduce deaths from heart attacks and to help co-ordinate services for those who suffer a suspected attack.
The pre-hospital emergency care project will involve some 40 GPs, who have been given defibrillator machines. It will also involve the distribution of questionnaires to those who have recently been treated for heart attacks.
A number of agencies, including nurses, consultant cardiologists at Portiuncula Hospital, ambulance services from both health boards and NUI Galway, are co-operating on the project.
As part of the scheme there will also be an audit of the present management of patients treated at the acute coronary care unit at Portiuncula Hospital.
GPs will be given a grant toward the purchase of emergency-care equipment, including oxygen cylinders and airway tubes.
The results of a questionnaire, which will be distributed in the coming weeks, will be used as a basis for research and for improving and co-ordinating services.
A frightening statistic is cited by Dr Matt Lenihan, a GP based in Mountbellew and one of the first doctors to come on board. Two- thirds of those who die from heart attacks die in their homes or in the community before they get to a hospital. Most deaths occur within the first hour.
"People may not be aware of the significance of a pain, or they may be in denial and hope the pain will go away, before they eventually amble into hospital," he says.
"The questionnaire will assess how long it takes for people to seek help, the length of time it takes for them to get to a hospital and then the length of time it takes to get treatment when they get there.
Ischaemic heart disease is still the leading cause of death in Ireland, according to the health boards. "Appropriate and effective pre-hospital care is, therefore, essential in responding rapidly to patients with chest pains," a statement said.
Dr Lenihan also emphasises that those who receive "clot-busting" drugs within 90 minutes of a heart attack have a "greatly improved" chance of survival.
He says GPs should push for the necessary funding to carry out other health checks, including cholesterol checks. "The resources are not there at the moment for us to do all these checks properly.
"Also, the ambulance services are not resourced to respond in an appropriate fashion when someone has a suspected heart attack. They are currently prohibited from giving life-saving drugs, but the minister is looking into this."
GPs would also eventually hope to use telemetry to download ECGs taken at a patient's home to the cardiac care unit at Portiuncula, from where they could receive specialist advice which may be required when someone presents with chest pain.
The doctors in the new pre-hospital emergency project have been given up-to-date defibrillators, which will also improve the survival chances of patients, especially if administered within four to six minutes.
Dr Tony Lowry, who practises in Athlone, estimates that he has seen about three cases of acute coronary thrombosis in the past three years. In this situation, the patient has actually suffered an arrest in the surgery. The defibrillator supplied to him by the health boards will be of great assistance in treating such cases at an early stage. The equipment can "absolutely" be a potential life-saver.