Kari Pitcher, a senior physiologist, has been trained to implant the device, which is currently being used to help around 100 Islanders.
She recently carried out the procedure under the supervision of consultant cardiologist, Dr Andrew Mitchell.
The monitoring device, which is inserted just underneath the skin close to the heart, uses wireless technology to send information about a patient’s heart directly to the clinical investigations team.
The information is used to help doctors diagnose a range of cardiac conditions, including rare and hard to detect illnesses.
Previously, only Dr Mitchell had been able to carry out the procedure.
‘We are already doing most of the work – the last piece in the jigsaw was doing the implant,’ Mrs Pitcher said.
Mrs Pitcher, who has been a physiologist for ten years, added: ‘It makes sense for the physiologist to do that part as well as we build up a relationship with the patient.
‘It means that Dr Mitchell’s time is freed up so he can concentrate on more complex cases and there is also a financial benefit as in the longer term we are looking to take the procedure out of the day surgery setting.’
Dr Mitchell first administered the Medtronic LINQ device in 2014, making Jersey one of the first places in Britain to carry out the procedure.
Meanwhile, the Hospital’s cardiac nurse Angela Hall, who last year was crowned UK national Nurse of the Year at the RCNi Nurse Awards, has recently produced national guidelines for the implantation of loop recorders (cardiac monitoring devices) by non-medical staff.
Dr Mitchell said: ‘It’s great that guidelines produced in Jersey will be used across the UK. Implantable devices are playing a very valuable role in diagnosing and treating conditions including those in people who have suffered unexplained blackouts.
‘The number of cardiac patients that we are treating is going up steadily so we need capacity in the future.
‘The fact that Kari will be able to implant the device independently not only improves the patient’s journey but also allows me to focus on more complicated cases.’
