A HEALTH service which empowers West Cumbrian heart patients has been given top marks.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation team at the West Cumberland Hospital asked almost 100 patients how they rated their support during rehabilitation.

Results showed all of them said the service was "very helpful or helpful'' with nine out of 10 patients continuing to exercise on a regular basis since attending the sessions and 89 per cent saying their ability to exercise improved during the course of cardiac rehab.

Around eight out of 10 patients understood what to do if they develop further chest pains, while seven out of 10 patients have since been able to return to their hobbies and activities.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation service consists of specialist nurses and physiotherapists and offers supervised exercise and education physiotherapy to patients who have been affected by heart conditions such as angina and congenital heart disease.

It is jointly run by North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust (NCUH) and Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). The rolling programme lasts up to eight weeks, combining exercise and education sessions.

Lynn Johnston, cardiac rehabilitation nurse for NCUH, said: “These are excellent results and show the hard work and dedication that the team have put into to ensuring our patients receive the best possible care. Well done to all involved.”

Fiona Temple, clinical lead physiotherapist at CPFT, said: “The findings of the recent survey illustrate the true value of collaborative working in

order to ensure patients receive the highest standard of quality care.”

One patient stated: “The programme and staff were absolutely fantastic, with the right balance between information, humour and the actual physical activity.”

Patients surveyed included those who have experienced heart attacks, bypass operations, angioplasty and valve replacements.

The team also made various improvements to the service following patient feedback.