Approximately 500 people a year benefit from the cardiac rehabilitation programme in Buckinghamshire.
This crucial exercise & educational element of the programme depends on charitable donations to provide the excellent level of service we enjoy here in Bucks. If everybody who benefitted from it donated £20, we would have no worries about keeping this vital service going.
Why we exist:
You may be surprised to learn that the NHS does not provide the entire funding for the superb cardiac rehabilitation service that we enjoy here in Buckinghamshire. If you or a loved one have experienced it, you will know what a fantastic job the team does to help people get their lives back to normal after cardiac events. And it’s not just us saying so. The British Association for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR) has congratulated the team on providing a ‘well-run cardiac rehabilitation programme … that is multidisciplinary in nature and offers a varied menu-based approach which lends itself to greater patient choice’. Furthermore, in the Patient Experience Network National Awards 2014 the team’s Care4Today Heart Health programme provided by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust in association with Janssen Healthcare Innovation won the prestigious Partnership Working to Improve the Experience Award and were finalists for the Continuity of Care Award.
There are four phases to cardiac events and rehabilitation:
- Phase I is the actual cardiac event.
- Phase II is the home recovery.
- Phase III is the rehabilitation exercise programme.
- Phase IV is the return to a normal exercise regime.
Running the Phase III exercise programme costs in excess of £20,000 a year, which is part funded by charitable donations. Hearts & Souls is the charity that is dedicated to raising this money.
When we came into being:
In 1997, led by the lead cardiologist, a group of grateful cardiac patients and dedicated exercise instructors set up Hearts & Souls to support cardiac rehabilitation services across Buckinghamshire. Two years later it became a Registered Charity approved by the Charity Commissioners.
Download our leaflet – click here or on the image.
What we do:
We provide grants and funding to:
- Pay for the Phase III Rehabilitation Classes so that they are completely free at point of use, making them available to everyone who needs them.
- Pay for staff education and training, ensuring skills and knowledge are up to date with current practices.
- Pay for the purchase and maintenance of medical and exercise equipment.
How we raise funds:
We receive personal and corporate donations. Charity led past fund raising events have included a Christmas raffle, Race Nights and Sponsored Walks. Some supporters hold their own events to help us.
Would you like to run your own event? …. please contact us and find out how we can help.
Many people are kind enough to remember us in their Wills.
How we help vital cardiac rehabilitation:
Hearts & Souls is pleased to help fund the Phase III exercise sessions that are part of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. Without the generosity of our supporters, these vital activities simply would not take place to a level currently experienced.
Phase III exercise sessions are led by a nurse and a clinical exercise specialist with cardiac training. They take place several times a week at various venues. These classes are strictly by referral only and are only available to patients after a clinical review and assessment.
There is a choice of times and venues so patients can choose when and where they would like to attend. Spaces are strictly limited and need to be booked with the rehab team in advance. It’s really important that patients attend or let the team know if they are unable to be there.
