Participation in life saving cardiac aftercare plunges by a third during Covid-19 pandemic
The number of people who have been taking part in cardiac rehabilitation in the UK fell by around a third (33%) as the Covid-19 pandemic first hit.
According to our National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation 2020, there were 52,625 people taking part in the programme, which normally takes place in a group setting, from August 2019 to January 2020.
However, as the pandemic took hold, this figure dropped dramatically to 35,500 during the following six months, from February to July 2020.
There are a number of reasons for the drop in participation. The pandemic resulted in fewer people attending hospital with heart attacks, and thousands of surgeries being postponed. A reduction in referrals to rehabilitation services, coupled with social distancing measures and the redeployment of healthcare professionals, may have also contributed to this decrease.
Worsened inequalities
People of Asian and Asian British backgrounds experienced the largest drop in participation during this timeframe, falling 45% overall. Similarly, people of Black, African, Caribbean and Black British backgrounds experienced an overall 44% drop in participation.While emerging evidence suggests that people of White British background have had higher cardiac rehabilitation participation rates during the Covid-19 pandemic, the report also found that the ongoing health crisis has worsened inequalities for already under-served people.
The reasons for this are complex. This could partially be due to availability and accessibility of cardiac rehab, and also to the healthcare services that refer it. Cultural and societal barriers may also play a part – although more data will indicate whether this is a long term concern.
Sally Hughes, our Head of Health Services Engagement, said: “It is extremely concerning to see such a sharp fall in the number of people participating in cardiac rehabilitation. The Covid-19 pandemic has created staff shortages and restrictions on health services, as well as highlighting how urgent innovation is. As a result, a lot of programmes have had to adapt their services by offering alternative assistance through virtual and online classes and support. In response the BHF has fast tracked the development of new online information and support resources, ‘Cardiac Rehabilitation at Home’, on exercising safely, healthy eating and medicines to support this.
“Someone’s need for aftercare after something as life-changing as a heart attack does not go away because we are in a global pandemic. As we build back NHS services, we should continue to reimagine rehabilitation services, making them more appealing and effective for people.”
Vital part of recovery
Cardiac rehabilitation is a vital part of the recovery process following a cardiac event which helps people get back to as full a life as possible following a heart event, such as a heart attack or bypass surgery. It can also support people who have other cardiac conditions.
Research has shown that cardiac rehabilitation reduces the risk of premature death by a quarter and lowers hospital admissions by around a fifth, as well as reducing the chances of experiencing further serious heart-related illnesses.
To innovate and help support people doing cardiac rehabilitation while at home, we have recently moved all its resources online. This means that people who have been advised to join a cardiac rehab programme can take part in one without leaving their house.
While this helps make cardiac rehab more accessible, it is important to remember that it is not the equivalent to a health professional or clinician led rehab programme.