Press Release

Tuesday 18th December 2012

An exercise prescription for cardiac patients

A new exercise programme for clients who have experienced a cardiac episode such as a heart attack or cardiac surgery has been launched in partnership by NHS Western Isles and the local Sport and Leisure Department.

A full Cardiac Rehabilitation programme has been running for several years in Western Isles Hospital. The exercise component of the programme, which was also delivered in Western Isles Hospital over recent years, was recently re-launched in the Sports Centre in Stornoway by the local Cardiac Rehabilitation Team, of BHF Nurses, the Rehabilitation Physiotherapist and Sports Centre staff. This not only demonstrates a multi-disciplinary approach to providing essential rehabilitation to clients, but also provides a much more accessible and sustainable service, with clients much more likely to continue to exercise after completion of the programme.

Exercise and activity is a fundamental part of cardiac rehabilitation so the new service will help facilitate recovery, whilst also familiarising clients with sports centre facilities so that they are more likely to continue with regular exercise as part of their daily life. Cardiac rehabilitation also includes a number of additional components undertaken in addition to the exercise programme, including health behaviour change and education, diet and smoking cessation advice.

NHS Western Isles Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse Donna Graham said: “Clients are referred to the Cardiac Rehabilitation service after heart surgery, coronary angioplasty and following a Myocardial Infarction. They are referred to the service by nursing and medical staff in hospital or by their GP or Practice Nurse. Cardiac Rehabilitation educates patients about their condition and the treatment they have received. They are also educated on recovery and getting back to usual activities.”

In the early weeks of their recovery, clients are given information about their condition and helped to identify any lifestyle changes that may reduce the chance of future illness. Once they are well enough, they then start the Exercise Programme, which currently lasts for six weeks, but may in fact be extended in the future as a result of increased capacity in the new venue of the sports centre gym. Five clients in the Western Isles are currently on the new programme.

Allison Martin, NHS Western Isles Rehabilitation Physiotherapist, said: “There is a misapprehension that the gym is full of really fit people. Bringing clients to the gym as part of this programme removed that barrier and takes away the nerves of that first visit to the gym. What is also really positive is that some of the people on the programme are actually fitter now after completing the programme than they were before their cardiac event. There is also strong evidence that an appropriate level of exercise helps to prevent further coronary events. This is all part of a client’s recovery to get them back to full fitness and improve their quality of life.”

Debra Vickers, Lead Nurse Cardiac Services (BHF), added: “This is about mutual support and collaborative working to get our clients into a suitable exercise programme after a cardiac event. It’s all about moving on and getting better. This is really important to help reduce the risk of a future event. Having this programme in the sports centre setting rather than a hospital makes it much more likely that the clients will build exercise into their routine as a normal part of their lives.”

Feedback from clients has been extremely positive to date, with many clients commenting that they actually enjoy the exercise and are happy to continue attending the sports centre after their six-week programme.

Sports Facilities Manager – Lewis and Harris, Tony Wade, said: “This is a really good example of partnership working between two agencies with similar agendas, which supports the individual needs of clients and starts people off on the road to exercise. Once clients have finished the programme, they are much more likely to continue with an exercise programme. Here in the Western Isles we have the cheapest sports centre membership scheme in Scotland, which gives them unlimited access to a very wide range of state of the art facilities.”

-  Ends -

Notes for Editors:

Caption: Pictured is fitness instructor Janet Macleod on the exercise bike, with Debra Vickers, Donna Graham, Allison Martin and Tony Wade.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a coordinated set of activities to positively influence the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, as well as to provide the best possible physical, mental and social conditions, so that the patients may, by their own efforts, preserve or resume their health and wellbeing. It is also effective to slow or reverse the progression of heart disease.

Cardiac rehabilitation is one of the most clinically and cost effective therapeutic interventions in cardiovascular disease management. There is overwhelming evidence that comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation is associated with a reduction in mortality. Secondary prevention, including blood pressure and cholesterol management and the prescription of cardioprotective medication, also forms part of an effective cardiac rehabilitation programme.

The core components of a CR programme are

1. Health behaviour change and education

2. Lifestyle risk factor management

-physical activity and exercise

-diet

-smoking cessation

3. Psychosocial health

4. Medical Risk Factor Management

5. Cardioprotective Therapies

6. Long Term management

By the end of the cardiac rehabilitation programme, patients are encouraged to develop full self management skills so that they are empowered to take ownership of their own responsibility to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Families and carers should also be equipped to contribute to long term adherence by helping and encouraging the individual to achieve their goals.

Contact:

Maggie Fraser

Communications Manager

01851 708060

07810527457

Press Releases/Cardiac/Dec 2012NHS Western Isles Press Release

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