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Date issued: January 2023

Review date: January 2025

Ref: A-396/SB/Cardiac/Cardiac rehab  Exeter and Devon v3

PDF:  Cardiac rehab Exeter and Devon final January 2023 v3.pdf [pdf] 252KB

The First Few Days

Now that you have been discharged from Derriford Hospital, your ward will refer you to your community Cardiac Rehabilitation team, they may have         completed the form with you as they talked through your stage one Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Once the Community Cardiac Service has received your referral, they aim to contact you by telephone within 2 weeks.

The initial contact will be by telephone. Cardiac Rehabilitation may be offered for you to complete via an online programme or attendance to a class as restrictions allow. This will be tailored to suit your personal needs.

Your Initial Appointment

The purpose of this initial appointment is to offer:

• Health checkup

• Discussion of your risk factors

• Lifestyle advice

Please allow up to one hour for this consultation.

At this appointment the rehabilitation nurse will help you decide whether you wish to enroll in the community rehabilitation classes which are strongly encouraged. A discussion will be held to decide the right time for you to start exercise classes.

Before your community exercise class begins you will be invited to an appointment for a fitness assessment. This helps us to understand your   baseline fitness level and guide you on activities accordingly.

Exercise Classes

The Royal Devon & Exeter Cardiac Rehabilitation Service will offer a choice of an online programme or a face to face exercise programme. The face to face classes will comprise of a variety of circuit based exercises to improve your balance, strength, coordination and cardiovascular fitness.

Numbers are currently restricted due to Covid-19 recommendations and you will be expected to comply with current health and safety precautions. These sessions will be run by two cardiac nurses and a phase 4, cardiac trained physical instructor.

Alternatively the online programme “My Heart” can offer you the very best digital support to patients with heart disease or recovering from cardiac surgery. Delivering personalised self-management and cardiac rehabilitation programmes, our award-winning platform has over 50 new educational videos. MyHeart is a programme that the RD&E have chosen to invest in, based on positive patient feedback.

Onward exercise can be discussed on an individual basis as current options vary due to restrictions in place in different locations.

Phase Four

Long term maintenance of physical activity and lifestyle change

To be effective, the changes you have made in your earlier phases of Cardiac Rehabilitation should be maintained for the rest of your life.

By the time you reach phase 4, it is hoped you are ready to exercise alone, or in a community based exercise group. We will discuss with you an exercise plan for yourself, taking into consideration current covid restrictions.

Useful Contact Numbers

If you need any further advice then you can contact the following numbers:

Cardiac Support Services, Cardiac Rehabilitation Team: 01392 356159

RDE Inpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation: 01392 403973

Smoking Quitline: 0800 00 22 00

Drinkline: 0300 123 1110

Alcoholics Anonymous: 0800 9177 650

TalkWorks (self-referral by patients)

Heartswell: 01752 315929  and info@heartswell.org.uk 

Your local GP surgery

MyHeart App