We aim to support people and their families following recent heart attacks or expected cardiac interventions such as stents or internal defibrillators. We also provide support for people prior to and following heart surgery.
What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Cardiac Rehabilitation offers you and your family the information, support and advice to help you to get back to your normal life again after a cardiac event. It includes exercise and information about healthy lifestyles that helps you to get back to everyday life as quickly as possible.
It aims to help you:
• Understand your condition
• Recover from your surgery or heart attack
• Make changes to your lifestyle that will help to improve your heart health
• Reduce the risk of a heart attack
Who is it for?
Cardiac rehabilitation is available for anyone who has had:
- a heart attack
- heart surgery
- angioplasty
- heart failure
Cardiac rehabilitation programmes can also help people who have coronary heart disease, including those with angina or heart failure.
The importance of rehabilitation in your recovery
Research has shown that cardiac rehab can reduce your risk of having another heart event. Cardiac Rehab is used by more than 100,000 patients in the UK annually. We want you to know about these benefits.
- Reduces the chance of a fatal cardiac event by 30%
- Helps you to return early to work
- Reduces unplanned emergency admissions by up to 56%
- Helps you to feel more confident about your health
What is a typical cardiac rehab program?
Phase 1 – happens when you are in the hospital. It includes information in the form of written and visual aids. Please do not hesitate to ask the nurse looking after you if you need more information and you may be visited by the staff from the hospital library who can also support your health information needs.
Phase 2 – after you are discharged from hospital:
You will be invited to attend post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) clinic to see Lead Advanced Practitioner within 4 weeks after discharge.
Phase 3 – Exercise and education programme. After your initial assessment, the community rehabilitation team will establish your needs and if you wish they can offer:
- a dietician one to one consultation
- a referral to the well-being team
- exercise classes or home exercise programme
What are the benefits?
Cardiac rehabilitation can:
• increase your chances of surviving a heart attack or other heart problem
• increase your ability to be active and exercise
• help you return to work sooner
• help you get back to a normal lifestyle.
How to find and access a programme?
Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinical Nurse Specialist based within the hospital can make referral to the community cardiac rehabilitation team or heart failure nurses.
Community cardiac rehabilitation programme includes:
- Exercise classes
- Dietetics
- Wellbeing support
Useful Contacts:
The Hounslow and Richmond Cardiac Rehabilitation team – 02087144195
Imperial Healthcare: Charing Cross, Ealing, Hammersmith, St Mary’s Hospital teams- 02083830229
Referrals to this programme can also be made by GPs.
How can I reduce my risk of further heart problems?
There are several things you can do to help keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of further problems.
- If you smoke, you can consider smoking cessation.
- Manage your blood pressure.
- Manage your blood cholesterol.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Keep physically active.
- Keep to a healthy weight.
- If you have diabetes, control your blood glucose.
- Take your medicines as prescribed.
Healthy Eating
Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help to protect your heart. You can:
• eat a Mediterranean diet which includes:
– healthier fats- found in olive oil, rapeseed and avocados
– more grains, pulses, nuts and beans
– more fish and less meat, and
– plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Consider reduced salt intake and if you drink alcohol, keep within the recommended limits and have at least two alcohol-free days a week.
Advice for patients leaving hospital on discharge
Going home after a heart attack can be an anxious time.
Driving: Legally you are not permitted to drive for the first four weeks after a heart attack.
You do not need to inform the DVLA, but you should inform your insurance company. If you have a license to drive a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) or a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) you must let the DVLA know about your heart attack. You will be asked some tests before a decision is made about whether you can keep your license.
Air Travel: It is usually safe to travel by air 6 weeks following your heart attack. In some cases, it may be possible sooner, you should check with your GP. You can inform your travel insurance company you have had a heart attack before you book your flight and arrange appropriate cover.
Sexual Activity: There is no fixed time to resume sex. You and your partner can have sex when you both feel ready. It is important to recognise that sex is no different from any other exercise. If you can climb stairs and walk briskly without symptoms it is possible to resume sexual activity unless advised otherwise. For further advice ask for the sexual activity advice leaflet.
Reduce Stress: Stressful situations could lead people to have an unhealthy lifestyle such as overeating, drinking too much alcohol and smoking all of which can be harmful to the heart.
If you feel stressed or anxious, identify what may be the cause this can support you to manage effectively.
The discharge checklist will help you to ask right questions f before you go home.
Contacts and Useful Information
If you have any queries about cardiac rehabilitation, please do not hesitate to contact the cardiac rehabilitation nurse: Tel: 07884761782
E: chelwest.cardiac-rehabilitation@nhs.net
If you have any other concerns or wish to give feedback about services, your care or treatment, you can contact the PALS office near main reception. T: 020 8560 6261
If you want information on any other health condition / local support group information visit Health Information Library or contact library staff: chelwest.Library.infoservice@nhs.net
Symptom Management
Within the cardiac rehabilitation service our specialist nurses will aim to help patients understand their symptoms with an aim to self-management and improved quality of life. To learn more about possible symptoms that may be related to your heart please click on the following useful websites.
NHS UK: https://www.nhs.uk/
British Heart Foundation: https://www.bhf.org.uk/
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