First Minister agrees that Cardiac Rehabilitation is a critical service

4.44.52pm GMT Tue 4th Dec 2007

Currently a number of health innovations including cardiac rehabilitation are funded through the lottery which by its nature has short term funding. Today the First Minister conceded that Welsh Lib Dem Jenny Randerson AM was right in calling cardiac rehabilitation a critical service.

Jenny said afterwards "Cardiac rehabilitation is too important to be left to fluctuating funding mechanisms such as the lottery.

"Rhodri previously said that LHBs should assess the merit of lottery funded projects such as the healthy hearts project and look to fund them if successful. However it is impossible for them to do this when they have such short term budgetary certainty and a serious funding shortfall including the LHB having to pay back debts of its predecessor.

"He now says that he will talk to the Health Minister and see what can be done to persuade LHBs of the merits of Cardiac rehabilitation.

"Across Wales there has been a big increase in people living with debilitating heart conditions. The quality of life experienced depends on whether they are offered cardiac rehabilitation. Only 41% of suitable patients are currently receiving cardiac rehabilitation. This is very poor considering the potential saving of lives and money."

Notes:

Evidence from the BHF shows that Cardiac rehabilitation can:

? reduce the chance of dying prematurely of heart disease by 26%;

? help those who have had a cardiac event return to a normal way of life; and

? prove a cost effective way of helping patients manage this long term condition.

The National Audit for Cardiac Rehabilitation shows that in Wales, Of 5,331 patients eligible for rehabilitation last year in Wales, only 2,195 received treatment.

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