The Cardiac ODN is collaborating with the national UK heart valve disease charity Heart Valve Voice and Valve for Life for the Your heart matters bus tour. The project sees the team travelling across the UK offering free stethoscope checks to over 50s and raising awareness of heart valve disease.
On Tuesday, 1 November, the bus will visit its only London stop, parking up in Peckham Square to offer free heart checks to the public.
Heart Valve Voice Executive Director, Wil Woan said: “We know that not all patients display symptoms or that some could mistake symptoms as signs of ageing or getting unfit, and this simple stethoscope check could change their lives. The Your heart matters bus is proof that early detection of heart conditions is so, so important and we were so impressed to see that about 1 in 10 patients who attended were found to have a previously undetected heart condition and they can now receive treatment.”
The event will take place at Peckham Square and will run from 10am-3pm. Anyone over the age of 50 is invited to come down for a free stethoscope check and to learn more about this common, serious — but treatable — condition.
London marks the 9th stop in the tour, and so far the team has listened to more than 2,000 hearts — uncovering more than 200 previously undetected cardiac conditions. People who are found to have a cardiac condition are given a letter to take to their GP, outlining what was found and the need for further investigation. Simulataneously, King’s College Hospital will follow up with primary care colleagues to advise of the clinical pathway, referral criteria, and contact details.
One patient who owes his life to the bus is Robert Fowler, 87, from Leeds, “I visited the bus in Leeds and after having some heart checks I was given a GP letter by the staff there and was referred to my local cardiology team. I needed to have a heart procedure called TAVI. I had the procedure on 3 February, and I’ve since been checked over and my readings look good. I’m doing daily exercises, taking days out with my wife and no funny turns. I feel so lucky, as had I not got on the bus my heart problem could have got a lot worse, like a stroke or heart attack. I would urge anyone to visit the bus – you might find something that could save your life.”
Want to know more? Email Andrea Marlow for details.