The University of Ulster has teamed up with CRY to launch the first independently funded heart-screening clinic in Northern Ireland.
CRY will offer a screening service based at the UU Clinic in the Jordanstown campus. Final-year Clinical Physiology students will have the opportunity to carry out the screenings after initial training from CRY representatives.
The new service was officially launched on Wednesday 1st November by patron and former Ireland and Ulster rugby star Gary Longwell.
There are sometimes no symptoms for SADS, and symptoms that do occur often go unrecognised because the young person appears fit and healthy.
With a simple Electrocardiogram (ECG), and diagnosis by an expert consultant cardiologist, many heart conditions can be detected. Despite this, heart screening for young people is not compulsory, and it is often not until a tragedy takes place in a family that the true extent of the problem is known.
With the help of the CRY Northern Ireland representative John Lundy, who tragically lost his son Aaron to a heart condition at the age of 19, CRY is launching its Northern Ireland base with the backing of some of Ireland’s most famous faces.
Patrons include former Ireland and Ulster rugby player Gary Longwell, Pat Jennings, who gained 119 caps for Northern Ireland as their goalkeeper, as well as playing for English clubs Arsenal and Tottenham and BBC presenter Mark Carruthers.
CRY Chief Executive and founder, Alison Cox, said:
“We are delighted to be extending the CRY network through a new screening clinic in Northern Ireland. It is based on the same protocol as the CRY Centre for Sports Cardiology at the Olympic Medical Institute and will offer screening for elite athletes and a separate subsidised clinic for the 35’s and under. It is critical to give everyone access to screening, and work towards increasing awareness and knowledge of conditions that kill young people every day.”
John Lundy from CRY NI added: “Opening such a facility in Northern Ireland is another step in the right direction in the fight against young sudden cardiac death. We hope to continue to raise awareness in Northern Ireland and bring together those affected to provide support and help people who have been through the same pain of loss as myself.”
John Carruthers, UU Clinic Manager said:
“We are pleased to be able to assist CRY in setting up this screening initiative in Northern Ireland which young people will be able to access. We are all aware of the some of the tragic deaths that have occurred in Northern Ireland and through this screening service will be able to detect potential heart problems and help prevent more deaths occurring. Once established students from Clinical Physiology will provide the screening service in the Clinic.”
The first ECG Clinic will be on November 25th 2006
For an appointment at the CRY NI clinic, please contact the CRY Northern Ireland Screening Administrator on 01737 363 222 or e-mail [email protected]
The CRY Screening Service for Northern Ireland clinic is held at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus.
