Heart patients in Lincolnshire are being left to rehabilitate themselves, according to a charity.
The British Heart Foundation says it has failed to find a single cardiac rehabilitation programme anywhere in the county which meets minimum requirements.
And it claims that this is depriving patients of life-saving nursing care, dietary support and physiotherapy.
The report suggests that just 39 per cent of cardiac patients in Lincolnshire are receiving adequate aftercare.
Bill Lawton (76), vice-chairman of the Lincoln branch of the Cardiac Patients’ Association, said: “I received five calls around Christmas last year from patients needing help.
“I’m not a medic but I just have to tell them about the experiences I’ve had.
“We are a group of pensioners trying to do the job of the NHS with limited means.”
Sarah Marshall’s son Stuart (16), a pupil at Cherry Willingham Community School, underwent a life-saving operation at Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital in April.
“There is no support out there apart from charitable support,” said Mrs Marshall (42), of Sturton-by-Stow, near Lincoln.
“We don’t know what’s right and wrong for him. We have not had anyone tell us what he should or shouldn’t be eating and if he’s got chest pains we’re just told to take him to casualty.”
(c) 2008 Lincolnshire Echo. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
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