British Heart Foundation
Our mission is to play a leading role in the fight against disease of the heart and circulation, so that it is no longer a major cause of disability and premature death. Our vision is of a world in which people do not die prematurely of heart disease.
Cardiac rehabilitation
Showcase – Cardiac rehabilitation
Chauffeur Stephen Hamilton, 49, was driving an MP to the airport when he suffered a heart attack. He had an operation at Hammersmith Hospital and was supposed to be offered cardiac rehabilitation, but it never happened. He now campaigns for it to be made available in his region.
Although Stephen was not offered cardiac rehabilitation after his heart attack five years ago, his is aware of the many benefits it provides to the recovery process for heart patients. He now fronts several panels and heads many boards campaigning to make the programme more freely available to cardiac patients in his region.
“I found the recovery process after my heart attack quite difficult and I think it would have been made easier if I had been offered the support of cardiac rehabilitation. I have since fought hard for the provision of quality cardiac rehabilitation services in my region.
“I know from personal experience the toll that having a heart attack can take both physically and emotionally, which is why I am doing everything in my power to make cardiac rehabilitation more accessible to help make the road to recovery easier for people like me.”
Priorities
Within ten years, working in partnership with other organisations and our supporters, we aim to:
- Research into heart disease
- Helping people make choices to reduce their risk
- Press for government policies which minimise the risk of developing heart and circulatory disease
- The highest possible standards of care and support for patients
- Reduce inequalities in the levels of heart disease across the UK.
Within a generation, we aim to reduce cardiovascular disease in the UK to one of the lowest levels in Europe . The BHF also wants to see progress in areas of unfinished business in helping patients with heart disease, including better access to cardiac rehabilitation – a lifesaving, cost effective treatment that is still not available to many heart patients.