NO specialist heart nurses are currently working in Suffolk, it emerged today.The British Heart Foundation (BHF) launches its Valentine Appeal this week to raise £1 million to provide specialist nurses across the UK.
NO specialist heart nurses are currently working in Suffolk, it emerged today.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) launches its Valentine Appeal this week to raise £1 million to provide specialist nurses across the UK.
Currently, there are only 217 BHF nurses in the UK, but 2.6m people living with heart and circulatory disease.
The BHF said it believed that only ten per cent of these patients had access to the specialist nursing care they needed.
Peter Weissberg, the BHF's medical director, said: “Although GPs and hospital specialists are extremely adept at handling heart disease, it's the long-term chronic consequences that need to be addressed.
“BHF Heart Nurses provide expert specialist support and care, helping to improve the quality of life of heart patients.
“We are determined that it becomes the norm rather than the exception for heart patients to be supported by a BHF Heart Nurse.'
This kind of care can help prevent unnecessary re-admissions to hospital, improve quality of life and cut deaths.
A spokeswoman for the British Heart Foundation said: “We don't know exactly where the new nurses will be introduced as yet but as there are none in Suffolk at the moment it would definitely be something we would look at in more detail.”
The nurses would be primarily based out in the community and provide one-to-one support for heart patients and their families.
In Ipswich, loved-up shoppers can help the campaign by writing Valentine messages to be posted in the BHF shop window for all to see.
The Love Notes are available to buy from the shop and all proceeds will go to the campaign.
To find out more pop in to the BHF Shop at 24 Carr Street, Ipswich.
N What do you think of the shortage of specialist heart nurses? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
WEBLINK: www.bhf.org.uk/valentine
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