Arias-Vasquez announces next stage of cardiac care at anniversary dinner

At the Cardiac Association’s 10th anniversary dinner, held on Friday night at Boyd’s, Minister for Health Gemma Arias-Vasquez praised what the charity had achieved in that decade while also announcing the “next stage” of cardiac care on the Rock.

She told those gathered that plans are under way for a permanent pacemaker service to be developed in Gibraltar, further expanding the range of procedures that can be delivered locally.
She also announced the pilot of CardioLogs, an AI-enabled cardiac monitoring solution intended to replace traditional Holter monitors.

The move, she said, forms part of a wider direction of travel towards more care delivered locally, modern care pathways, and responsible use of technology “where it genuinely improves care”.

A redesigned cardiac rehabilitation model has also been prepared to improve early patient identification despite the well-known infrastructural constraints at St Bernard’s.

Reflecting on the past 10 years, she said that the Cardiac Association was “an essential voice” for cardiac patients and their families and a key partner in shaping heart care in Gibraltar.

She thanked its Chairperson Suyenne Perez Catania for her “time and great effort” on cardiac matters. She also extended her thanks to past and present committee members and to all those who have supported the charity over its ten-year history.

Over that period, she said, the Association had stood “beside cardiac patients and their families,” raising awareness, promoting prevention, strengthening emergency preparedness through CPR and AED training, supporting rehabilitation and ensuring that patients “are heard” within the health system.

Turning to what she termed one of the “most important developments” in cardiac care in Gibraltar, she highlighted the creation of the Keith Bautista Cath Lab at St Bernard’s.

She said the service, delivered in partnership with clinicians and strongly championed by the association, represented a major repatriation of cardiac care, allowing patients to be transferred from A&E to the Cath lab in around 90 seconds.

When it comes to heart attacks, she noted, “time matters,” both clinically and for families waiting for news.

The difference between sending patients abroad and being able to treat them in Gibraltar was “enormous” in real terms.

She recalled that the Cath lab was officially inaugurated and named after the late Keith Bautista in December 2024.

Since its launch, 425 Cath lab procedures have been carried out locally, representing 425 occasions, she said, in which patients were able to receive advanced cardiac care in Gibraltar, supported by GHA teams, without the distress and risk of transfer abroad.

Addressing one of the issues of most direct concern to patients in the room, she confirmed that the cardiac rehabilitation gym, temporarily relocated, is currently forecast to return to St Bernard’s Hospital by the end of July, subject to the arrival of portacabins required for the new ambulance station.

She acknowledged that recovery continues long after a patient leaves hospital and underlined the importance of the Lional Perez Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre and the association’s support for patients once formal GHA rehab sessions end.

Throughout her speech, Mrs Arias-Vasquez stressed the government’s desire to continue working closely with the Gibraltar Cardiac Association, praising it for keeping “patients and families at the centre of every conversation”.

She said the association’s campaigning and advice “makes our GHA better” and pledged that her door would remain open to its representatives.

Welcoming guests to the anniversary dinner, Mrs Perez Catania said it was great to be able to celebrate such a special occasion with so many familiar faces who have been supporting the charity throughout that time, as well as some newcomers.

She reminded guests that the roots of the charity stretch back to 1998, when cardiac nurse Gerry Fortuna and a group of cardiac patients first discussed creating a support group at a time when information and aftercare were scarce.

She honoured several of the early driving forces behind that initiative, the late Charles Head, William Finlayson, Louis Monteverde, and her own late father Lionel Perez, who led the original group.

These men, she said, had lived through a period when a heart attack was often seen as the end of an active life, with strict limitations imposed on daily activity and a heavy burden of fear and stigma.

From those early conversations grew the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group, which lobbied successfully for a resident cardiologist in Gibraltar.

Although the original association was never formally registered, she said the community owed a debt of gratitude to Troy Jeffries, whose own experience led him in 2016 to found and register the Gibraltar Cardiac Association.

Reflecting on the charity’s motto, that regardless of “the colour t shirt you wear or the cause you support, we all have a heart”, she stressed the central message of the evening, heart health is everyone’s concern.

Without a healthy heart, she said, every other form of treatment becomes more complicated.

Looking ahead, she set out three key ambitions for the coming years, including the repatriation of pacemaker procedures to Gibraltar, the establishment of dedicated premises for a cardiac rehabilitation centre and continued expansion of community screening and outreach, building on the work of the mobility unit that visits different areas to carry out basic checks.

She reminded the audience that anxiety and stress following a heart attack or cardiac arrest can become “a vicious circle”, affecting not only the patient but also those around them, who may live in constant fear of “a ticking time bomb”. A key part of the association’s mission, she said, is to break that isolation by encouraging people to talk, share and seek support.

After her speech, a commemorative video that summarised 10 years of milestones was shown and a toast was raised to the next decade of work.

In addition, Vanessa, widow of founder member Keith Bautista, cut the first slice of one of three strawberry and cream cakes in his memory.

One person who knows the Cath lab well is Lead Consultant Interventional Cardiologist Dr Roger Moore, who told guests at the event that the lab has transformed local heart care and is already saving lives.

Describing himself as a “hardened old cardiologist” who has helped establish Cath labs in several centres in the UK as well as in Gibraltar, he admitted he had been struck by the impact of the new facility at St Bernard’s.

The lab has changed the nature of cardiac care in the hospital, he said. By allowing rapid intervention within the crucial “golden hour” after a major cardiac event, it has dramatically improved outcomes for local patients.

In recent months alone, Dr Moore said he could think of five or six patients who, in his professional view, would likely not have survived had they needed to be transferred abroad for treatment. The ability to deliver timely procedures on the Rock has, he argued, made a clear and measurable difference.

Dr Moore also highlighted the broader development of the cardiology department surrounding the lab. The service now produces echocardiograms of a standard on a par with leading UK hospitals in central London, he said.

Dr Moore paid tribute to the pioneering work of Gerry Fortuna, who established Gibraltar’s original rehab service many years ago. Rehabilitation, he said, is a vital part of closing the “circle of treatment”.

While there is still more the team hopes to achieve, he told guests that Gibraltar has already “moved a long way” in a relatively short period.

The night also included the presentation of a ‘Heart Buddy’ to a number of supporters, such as Lincoln Football Club, who raised £2,000 to fund the purchase of another AED, and Charlie Nogueira who ensures that the AEDs supplied by the charity (in conjunction with the GHA) are kept in good working order.

Also receiving awards were Steven Soussi and Eric Abudharam for their ongoing help in making the charity’s family days and fun events possible, and Calypso Tours for helping realise a long held dream of the charity: advertising on a bus to raise awareness, Nigel Acris for agreeing to handle all the charity’s paperwork free of charge, Prakash Nagrani, for stepping in “without hesitation” to provide Prosecco for the evening’s special celebration, Eyleen Gomez from the Gibraltar Chronicle for publicity and media support, Jack Noble for his patience and humour with other cardiac patients, his humour and Medical Director Dr Mark Garcia for his continuous support, including backing efforts around the Cath lab.