In the UK, between 14% and 23% of infarct patients, between 33% and 56% of CABG patients, and between 6% and 10% of PTCA patients are enrolled into CR programs.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a cost-effective, life-enhancing and life-saving treatment for patients recovering from cardiac illness--from myocardial infarction, revascularisation, angina, heart failure, etc. Its main aims are to help the patient to recover as quickly and completely as possible and then to reduce to a minimum the chance of recurrence of the cardiac illness--it should be an integral step in the management of the patient's condition. Despite the inclusion of CR in the National Service Framework for coronary heart disease only a minority of cardiac patients join CR programmes. Suggestions are made for increasing the uptake.

For those 30% of eligible patients who enter cardiac rehabilitation in England, the service suffers from inadequate staffing, facilities and space, associated with gross underfunding. If the recommended 85% of eligible patients were included the situation would be much worse. The Department of Health recommendations for cardiac rehabilitation have not been translated into action, with most hospitals giving it low priority compared with other cardiology services. A treatment with demonstrable benefits should at least meet the standards recommended by national guidelines.

No abstract

The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease set a target for 85% of myocardial infarct and coronary revascularization patients to be enrolled in rehabilitation programmes. Only one-third of this number is currently being enrolled and the percentage is falling.