Rapid Access Cardiology
Safe discharge. Rapid specialist review.
Rapid Access Cardiology is a cardiologist-led rapid review service for general practitioners and community clinicians. We provide urgent outpatient cardiology assessment for patients who need specialist review soon — without a hospital admission, and without the long wait times of routine outpatient referral.
When a patient presents to their GP with a cardiac concern, the choice should not be "wait months for an appointment" or "send them to hospital." Rapid Access Cardiology exists to close that gap: a direct referral pathway from your practice to a cardiologist, with structured assessment, expedited investigations, and a clear management plan returned to you.
FOR GENERAL PRACTITIONERS & COMMUNITY REFERRERS
The service is designed for patients seen in general practice or the community who are clinically stable but need cardiology input sooner than a routine referral allows.
Common referral indications include:
Chest pain — stable, low-to-intermediate risk, requiring expedited specialist work-up
Palpitations and suspected arrhythmias
Syncope or presyncope
Shortness of breath on exertion
Abnormal or uncertain ECG findings
Suspected heart failure
Murmurs and suspected valve disease requiring assessment
Cardiac surveillance during cancer therapy (referrals from oncologists welcome)
Pre-treatment cardiac clearance, including before stimulant medication (referrals from psychiatrists and GP’s welcome)
1. You assess your patient in your rooms and identify the need for prompt specialist cardiology review.
2. You complete the Rapid Access Cardiology referral form — from our referral pad, or online in under two minutes.
3. Your patient is contacted promptly and offered an urgent cardiology appointment, typically within days of referral.
4. A detailed cardiology assessment and management plan is returned to you, keeping you at the centre of your patient's ongoing care.
How It Works
Why Rapid Access Cardiology?
Direct GP-to-cardiologist pathway — no hospital admission, no emergency presentation, no months-long outpatient queue
Rapid appointments — patients are seen within days of referral
Structured, protocol-driven assessment — every patient follows an evidence-based clinical pathway aligned with current ESC guidance
Expedited investigations — ECG, echocardiography, ambulatory monitoring and further imaging arranged as a single episode of care
Clear communication — a comprehensive report and management plan back to the referrer after every visit
Better patient experience — care close to home, in the community, without the disruption of a hospital presentation
Referral Criteria
Suitable patients are:
Clinically stable at the time of referral
Assessed by their GP or referring community clinician
Not in need of hospital admission or emergency care
Likely to benefit from specialist cardiology review within days rather than weeks
Not Suitable For Referral
This is an outpatient service for stable patients. It is not an emergency service. Patients with any of the following need immediate emergency care — call 000:
Ongoing chest pain suggestive of an acute coronary syndrome
Suspected myocardial infarction
Haemodynamic instability
Acute breathlessness at rest / suspected acute pulmonary oedema
Sustained or symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias
High-risk syncope (exertional, with injury, or with a concerning ECG)