More than half of heart attack survivors in North West miss out on life-saving service

MORE than half of heart attack patients (60%) in the North West failed to receive a life-saving service, according to a report released by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) on Monday, 24 August 2009.

The 2009 National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation (NACR) (1) found that only 40% of 11,736 heart attack sufferers took part in a cardiac rehabilitation programme in the North West Strategic Health Authority area; which includes Cheshire, Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside and Cumbria. This compared to 34% of 83,540 heart attack sufferers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Just 51% of those who underwent an angioplasty procedure and 89% of those who had coronary artery bypass operations in the North West received the essential service.

Overall, the audit, which covered England, Wales and Northern Ireland, found that only 38% of heart patients attended cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardiac rehabilitation gives heart attack patients a 26% greater chance of surviving in the five years following their diagnosis by providing them with the vital skills to manage their condition and significantly improves their quality of life.

The NACR, commissioned by the BHF, also found that women were significantly underrepresented in the programme. While women made up 37% of heart attack survivors, only 28% of patients that took part in cardiac rehabilitation were women.

The report indicates the service is falling short of the goals outlined in the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease in England (2000), which set a target for 85% of cardiac patients to be invited to participate in cardiac rehabilitation. There has been no significant increase in the proportion of patients referred to rehabilitation since last year’s audit.

Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, was disappointed with the results. “The number of heart patients taking part in cardiac rehabilitation hasn’t increased at all since the last report. The audit shows that progress on making this life-saving service available to patients is flat-lining. Recovery from a heart attack isn’t over when a patient leaves hospital and heart patients should be receiving the ongoing support they need. Referral to cardiac rehabilitation should be a routine part of treating heart patients, and until this happens they will continue to miss out.”

In addition, the report did not find a single cardiac rehabilitation programme which met minimum staffing requirements (4). Only 1% of programmes meet the staffing guideline for pharmacy, 8% met the guideline for dieticians and 9% for psychological support.

Professor Bob Lewin at the BHF Cardiac Care and Education Research Group, who wrote the report, said that:- “Patient referral is one of the main reasons why people are not attending. Many patients are simply not aware that it exists or that they should be doing it. It is worrying that a third of patients who were offered the service said they weren’t interested. Why wouldn’t you be interested in a service that could prolong and improve your life? It is important that all of the staff within the health service understand the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation and communicate how important it is to their patients.”

Cardiac rehabilitation involves nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists and occupational therapists who work with their patients both one-to-one and in groups.

At the end of the programme, patients are able to understand their condition, have greater confidence and are able to regain a high quality of life again.

The BHF and British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR) are part of the Cardio and Vascular Coalition (CVC), a collaboration of over 40 organisations with an interest in heart and circulatory disease. The CVC is calling on the Westminster Government to commit to a renewed planned approach to cardiovascular conditions, as the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease reaches its 10th anniversary. The CVC recently published Destination 2020 – a voluntary sector vision for change, which highlighted cardiac rehabilitation as a major area of unfinished business, including provision and uptake of cardiac rehabilitation, requiring ongoing prioritisation for the next decade.

Campaigns in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also asking for specific action by national governments.   To join the campaign for cardiac rehab all you have to do is go online to bhf.org.uk/cardiacrehab.

TAKE OFF FOR TRAFFIC OFFICERS’ CHARITY CYCLE RIDE

AROUND 40 Traffic Officers and colleagues from other parts of the Highways Agency’s North West Network Operations division, are taking to their own special ‘ring road’ on Wednesday, 2 September and Thursday, 3 September 2009 to raise funds for the North West Air Ambulance Service.

The Traffic Officers, who help to keep drivers on the move on the region’s motorways, are staging their very own 48-hour charity cycling marathon at BAE System’s Samlesbury airfield in Lancashire - swapping their high visibility black and yellow chequered 4wd patrol cars for push bikes.

Rather than putting their feet up, the Traffic Officers are using rest days and holidays in their attempt to pedal 4,245 miles – the total length of England’s motorway and trunk road network. The non-stop relay will utilise a two mile circuit of the airport’s runways.

BAE Systems is giving the Traffic Officers free use of the airfield for the event while AmeyMouchel, the Highways Agency’s main contractor for Cumbria and north Lancashire is chipping in too – with portable lighting and other on-site facilities.

The Traffic Officers and other Highways Agency staff will share 4,000 of the miles by completing 100 miles each while the remaining 245 miles have been reserved for sponsors and supporters sending teams of four to cycle 25 miles each.

The event has been organised by Matt Taylor, a Traffic Officer based at the Samlesbury outstation in Lancashire, just off Junction 31 of the M6.

The North West Air Ambulance is the region’s only medical air emergency service. As a registered charity it currently costs £4 million a year to maintain and relies mainly on the generosity of the public.

Matt said:- “Highways Agency Traffic Officers work closely with all the blue light services on the motorway network. We regularly assist the North West Air Ambulance by briefly closing a carriageway so their helicopter can land and they can get people quickly to the region’s hospitals. They do a highly-valued, highly-professional job but as a charitable organisation relying on donations we know they need all the support they can get to keep the service running. As far as Highways Agency Traffic Officers are concerned there is no more deserving cause and I think we can live with a couple of sore bits for a few days knowing we have raised some cash for this vital service!”

Louise Lin, from NWAA, said:- “Sponsored events like the Samlesbury Cycle Challenge are really important to us as they help to keep this vital service flying. When access is difficult or time-critical the North West Air Ambulance and its highly trained paramedic crew can be with people in minutes to provide life-saving treatment. Every day of the year the ambulance attends to people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries. The maximum flying time to the nearest hospital in the region is ten minutes. It is this time that is critical in making a difference to the patient’s chances of survival.”

And Malcolm Adams, BAE Systems’ Head of Public Affairs, said:- “We are proud to support this worthwhile funding event. We have a long-standing relationship with the Highways Agency and our employees are heavily involved in raising funds for a wide range of charities including the Air Ambulance.”

CASH IN TRANSIT ROBBERY ARRESTS

MERSEYSIDE Police on 20 August 2009 arrested three men from the Liverpool South area following a cash in transit robbery on the morning of Thursday, 20 August 2009. At around 11am a cash box was taken from a security guard outside the NatWest bank on Hillfoot Road, Hunts Cross. The cash box and a substantial amount of money was recovered by officers nearby. The three men, age 22, 23 and 24 were arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Children's Playground To Open

A REJUVENATED Duke Street Park, Formby will be reopened by the Mayor and Mayoress of Sefton on Saturday, 29 August 2009. The event Starts at 1030 am to 4.30 pm. As befits Formby's historic beginnings, the theme will Vikings; always popular. Various activities and events associated with this theme will take place in the Park throughout the day.