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Patient power
Introduction
The growing number of patient groups provide valuable mutual support for people recovering from a heart attack or surgery.
Action
Our aim is to give heart patients a wide range of options to access support and information so they can sustain long-term lifestyle changes.
At a heart support group meeting, patients meet friendly people who understand what they are going through. The groups encourage exercise, eating well and stopping smoking. All this can help patients achieve a better quality of life.
Patients can also join the BHF's Hearty Voices programme which trains and encourages patients to make their views heard and influence local health services. Hearty Voices provides free access to training, support and a bi-monthly newsletter highlighting the training available and opportunities for people to get involved.
Impact
Patient networks help patients return to a healthy way of life and reduce the fear and uncertainty of heart disease. We currently have 373 Hearty Voices on the programme and are training them to be able to give their views with confidence.
Jim Waine from the Poole Heart Support Group says:
"Through joining the group we hope to pull the patients back and give them a chance of a better quality of life. I'd encourage all patients and their carers to get involved with their local group; they can offer the kind of support that no doctor can."
With the help of many patients and carers, we have produced a new booklet called Patient Networks showing how ten people have benefited from community programmes supported by the BHF.
Through the Patient Network grants programme, patients and carers can apply for funding up to £1,500 to help establish their own community based projects.
Next steps
We aim to extend the Hearty Voices programme to more diverse groups. A further ten training days will be held throughout the UK to increase the numbers of patient and carer representatives up to 500.