Cardiac rehabilitation services at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, are here to support you in your recovery from a cardiac event, procedure or new diagnosis. Our multi-disciplinary rehabilitation specialists include nurses, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, exercise instructors, and cardiac rehabilitation assistants who will help you improve your fitness, wellbeing, quality of life and future health.
Cardiac rehabilitation, sometimes called cardiac rehab, helps you to recover and get back to as full a life as possible after a heart attack, heart surgery or following a diagnosis such as heart failure. It is an individualised exercise, education and support programme built around your personal circumstances and needs. Cardiac rehab is a vital part of your recovery, so consider it as important as taking your medication. No matter your age, gender, ethnicity or level of fitness you can benefit from cardiac rehab.
You may be able to access cardiac rehab through a number of different ways such as attending in person, telephone support or via a web programme. We can provide a translation service for our appointments with either a member of our team or with the DA Languages interpreting services.
Who can access cardiac rehabilitation?
Cardiac Rehabilitation forms part of your treatment following:
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Percutaneous intervention (stent insertion/ PCI)
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)
- Heart valve surgery
- Multiple Risk factors associated with Cardio Vascular Disease
- Insertion of an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or resynchronization device (CRT)
- Heart failure
- Stable angina
- Breathlessness
How can I access cardiac rehabilitation?
There are a number of ways you may have been referred to the service
- As an inpatient at UHL
- Consultant referral
- GP referral
- Community Heart Failure Nurse Referral
- Out of County Hospital Trust or Rehabilitation Team referral
If you have an inpatient stay with us at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, you are referred by the ward staff. We contact you soon after discharge to complete an individual first consultation with a cardiac rehabilitation specialist to support your early recovery.
As part of your rehabilitation journey you will be offered access to the rehabilitation team from diagnosis to long term management. We’ll invite you to join our Cardiac Rehabilitation programme, or offer to refer you to a service suitable for you. If you had your cardiac event, out of county, the discharging hospital should have forwarded your details to our team.
Where can I access cardiac rehabilitation?
Our cardiac rehabilitation programmes are based at the following venues;
- Glenfield Hospital
- Leicester General Hospital
- Loughborough University at the NCSEM
- Plus other community venues
You will be able to access your treatment at a site convenient to you. In addition to this we host a web based rehabilitation Programme, i-IMPACT and have the ability to fast track appropriate patients to local leisure centres with appropriately trained instructors.