Heart Failure Specialist Nursing Service at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP)
The inpatient heart failure specialist nursing service aims to provide support and education across the trust to colleagues caring for, and to patients living with heart failure. As a multidisciplinary team, we can offer guidance and support in accordance with up to date, evidence-based research. Our goal is to empower patients and colleagues caring for them in early recognition of deteriorating symptoms with the aim of timely intervention and prevention of decompensation through education, guidance on treatment therapies, utilising the virtual ward, offering outpatient same day emergency care and referral onto community services for ongoing support.
Heart failure is a complex syndrome which affects the hearts ability to pump blood out of it. This can lead to collection of fluid (oedema) around the body which causes signs/symptoms like:
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Weight gain
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Shortness of breath, particularly on laying down (orthopnoea) or feeling more short of breath doing your usual activities
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Poor sleep, waking up feeling panicked or short of breath (PND)
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Oedema/swelling to your ankles, legs, arms and stomach
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High blood pressure
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Decline in appetite
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Fatigue
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Cough, which gets worse at night
Opening times
Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm
Contact us
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Telephone advice: 01752 439263
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Answer phone available 24/7
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Please note: we are a non-emergency service for guidance and support around heart failure. In the event of a medical emergency, please contact the relevant emergency service (999).
Useful resources
Community Cardiac Team
The Community Cardiac Team offers a Specialist Nursing service to patients who have recent Cardiac Rehabilitation needs or Symptomatic Heart Failure.
Visit Pumping Marvellous the UK's Heart Failure Charity
Patient information leaflet: Self-Management and Action Plan for Heart Failure (Traffic Light System)
