Transformation of Heart Attack Care: A Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Service for Northern Ireland

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (primary PCI) is the preferred immediate treatment for patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. It is however, considerably more labour-intensive than the previous standard of care and requires an immediate response from consultant-led teams to deliver best outcomes. We describe the introduction of a comprehensive primary PCI service for Northern Ireland and suggest that the process by which it was designed, piloted, commissioned and benchmarked can serve as a prototype for other high-risk, time-sensitive clinical emergency services.