THE FRIENDS of St Cross have shown they are all heart by supporting the cardiac rehab team at the hospital.
Thirty copies of The Heart Manual have been supplied for patients who cannot attend St Cross due to restrictions on face to face cardiac rehab follow up.
Jo Holdsworth, cardiac rehabilitation programme manager, said “We are still trying to provide an evidence-based programme of cardiac rehabilitation.
“We currently have an on line cardiac rehabilitation programme which we have been piloting since November with the support of the Friends and have utilised this option over the last couple of weeks for patients who can navigate the internet confidently.
“The Heart Manual enables us to offer recently discharged patients – who will possibly be discharged on the same day of admission or within 24 hours of treatment – an evidence-based home programme if they can’t access the internet for one reason or another.
“The Heart Manual comes as a book that we will post out and patients will receive scheduled follow up by a member of the cardiac rehab team. The aim of continuing to follow up these patients is to ensure that safety netting advice continues in the early stages of their recovery and to avoid admission back to University Hospital.”
Willy Goldschmidt, chairman of the Friends of St Cross, said they were pleased to help.
“The Friends have great admiration for the innovative ways in which the cardiac rehab team have explored a range of ways in which to support patients who have had a heart event.
“In these difficult times it was no surprise that the team approached us to support another initiative which we did not hesitate to support this.”
All heart – Kirsty Barsby, clinical exercise physiologist at UHCW Trust, with one of the Heart Manuals.
