Current provision of cardiac rehabilitation in England and Wales

Abstract

Summary A survey of all programmes known to the British Heart Foundation in England and Wales has been carried out, to identify which professionals are coordinating the service, who is being offered cardiac rehabilitation and any existing exclusion criteria. The survey also explored the nature of funding and any difficulties encountered in obtaining continued financial support (see appendix 1). Within each region, cardiac rehabilitation programmes identified similar difficulties: lack of funding and support from trusts and medical teams, minimal job security or training and education opportunities, ad hoc services run by health professionals in their own time and inequalities of service provision within area health authorities. Key points from the survey are presented in this report which suggests that, currently, cardiac rehabilitation is under-funded and undervalued. Joint funding by hospital and community trusts providing collaboration and integration of service provision should be the way forward.