National Campaign for Cardiac Rehab - an update for the BACR Friday 3rd October 2008 Ruairi OConnor Policy & Public Affairs

Overview What we’ve done Successes New opportunities

Campaign messages Cardiac rehab saves lives Cardiac rehab is not expensive Without it patients are 25% more likely to die within five years Yet, the NSF’s target of 85% accessibility to CR is still far from being met

National Audit 2008 There continues to be: a severe lack of CR provision in the UK massive inter and intra-regional variations in the level and standard of CR significant underfunding despite superb efforts of individual staff

What’s the campaign done? People power –Direct lobbying –Parliamentary work Working with Government –DH prioritisation –Four nations Awareness raising –Media work Four nations

People power 10,000 petition signatures and counting… Information shared with Health Ministers addresses helping us keep in touch with campaigners e-newsletter BHF’s Heart Support Groups

Parliamentary protest

Parliamentary work BHF meetings with key politicians –Party conferences 2007 and 2008 e-advocacy service –bhf.org.uk/cardiacrehab –500 s sent 100+ Hansard mentions

In the media

Successes so far England: Renewed DH activity –National Clinical Lead and National Clinical Adviser –NHS Heart Improvement Programme – pilot sites –Payment by Results Working Group Scotland: Significant CR commitments in July 2008 CHD and Stroke Strategy Wales: £2 million ring-fenced funding to stop CR programmes going under

New opportunities The NSF runs out in late 2009 – what’s next? Election 2010 –Aim – to make CR a political issue Building up our campaigner support –Involving 300+ Heart Support Groups –Engaging PCTs - making the most of LINKs –Further progress in Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland Getting better case studies

Your voice counts Visit our stand for updates… give us more great campaigning ideas… and…engage with the CVC Green Paper!