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Cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac Rehabilitation is integral to recovery.  We offer several courses based around supervised exercise programmes that will give you confidence, get you fit and back to leading a normal life. 

The Cardiac Rehabilitation won a Cardiac Journal of Nursing Award in 2007.

The team provide ongoing support to people who have had or are at risk of having a cardiac event.   

We work cross sites, covering The London Chest, St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London hospitals.  The team are available at every stage to give advice and information to aid recovery and help your lifestyle return to normal.

We aim to see all patients who have suffered a heart attack prior to discharge to give information about their procedure and recovery.  We also attend the follow up clinics to give lifestyle advice on reducing risk factors such as stopping smoking, diet and exercise.You can discuss any questions about your recovery at this time.

For local patients based in the Tower Hamlets area, our Phase II coordinator is available to provide support in the immediate discharge period at home.

Patients are also invited to attend a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme.  The courses are for local patients who have had chest pain, a heart attack and any other heart condition e.g. surgery or stents.  They are designed to help you learn more about your heart and how to reduce the risk of future heart problems as well as providing emotional support. 

The course is based at the London Chest Hospital, Bethnal Green and involves education sessions, relaxation and physical exercise. 

Bengali rehabilitation course 

To reflect the cultural needs of our local community we have also developed an award winning and innovative course designed for Bengali patients with dedicated Health Advocates. This is based at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.

“We want to make sure that people feel supported when they leave hospital.  Some women aren’t comfortable with the idea of going to a gym so we organise female-only sessions to help them feel more relaxed”, explains Judith Colley, Lead Nurse for Cardiac Rehabilitation, in reference to the Bengali programme.

We actively encourage a close friend or family member to attend at least one class to see how things are progressing and help build confidence. 

If you do not live in Tower Hamlets, you will be referred to your local Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre by the Barts and the London Team after discharge.   

Home-based rehabilitation

We are currently developing a service that will provide our patients cardiac rehabilitation in their own homes. More details about this will be available soon.

The team

As well as specialist nurses, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team includes other professionals such as physiotherapists, dieticians, pharmacists and a clinical psychologist. 

Contact details

The London chest Hospital: 020 8983 2357
The Royal London Hospital: 020 7377 7344 
Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase II Co-ordinator: 020 7377 7320

Cardiac Rehabilitation Information lines

The London Chest Hospital: 020 8983 2357
The Royal London hospital: 020 7377 7344 (Bengali advocate)

These lines are available Monday-Friday 9am–5pm for advice and information.  Messages are checked within these times and we aim to return calls by the next working day.  

If you have a medical emergency, please contact your GP or dial 999.

For information about your local Cardiac Rehabilitation services please contact your nearest hospital or the British Heart Foundation for details.