Guernsey’s Familial Hypercholesterolemia screening service has been shortlisted for a national award for innovating public health and preventative medicine.
The clinic based at Queens Road Medical Practice has helped to diagnose 40% of the predicted number of people in Guernsey living with the condition since launching in 2018. That is considered to be far higher than the number of people diagnosed in the UK.
This success has led the practice to be nominated at the General Practice Awards.
FH is a common inherited condition which causes high levels of bad cholesterol from birth which if untreated can lead to heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases at a young age.
55 patients have received a genetic diagnosis in Guernsey through a combination of blood testing, genetic screening, and family follow ups which have helped to start treatment early before serious complications arise.
Free testing and support has been made possible through generous funding, partly from the States and Butterfield Bank, but more recently from private backing from a benefactor which will secure services for another three years.
Dr Mat Dorrian, FH Clinic Lead, said: “This nomination is not just for the clinic team; it is for everyone who has supported us along the way. This is the first FH screening clinic to be run from General Practice in the UK, combining NHS specialist nurse expertise with primary care delivery on-island.
“We believe it could provide a blueprint for how the service could be set up in many other jurisdictions.”
Rob Jordan, Practice Manger at Queens Road Medical Practice added: “This is a fantastic achievement for Guernsey, the FH team, and Queens Road. Our community has shown how by working together, we can deliver world-class healthcare locally.”
Staff from the service and Queens Road will attend an awards ceremony in London on 5 December.