Cardiac rehabilitation programme management

The Audit Commission's paper (1995) Dear to our hearts suggests that contracts for cardiological services should provide cardiac rehabilitation and related postdischarge support. As yet, in the mid- 90s, cardiac rehabilitation services are reaching only a limited number of potential patients with a huge geographical variation in the availability and development of suitable programmes. While health authorities grapple with the expansion of their cardiac services, e.g. screening measures and surgical procedures, to meet national and local targets, they do not match any new service provision with extra cardiac rehabilitation resources. This article describes one method of managing the care of the cardiac patient through all four phases of the rehabilitation process.