Understanding Your Heart at the NNUH
Specialist heart nurses from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) have joined with service provider Serco, to mark national Heart Month in February.
On February 12 they will raise awareness of heart care at the NNUH and raise vital funds for local charity the Norfolk Heart Trust and the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The public will be offered free blood pressure checks, healthy lifestyle advice, and an invitation to buy a smoothie, to help raise awareness of heart disease and raise funds towards these charities in the West Atrium Level 1 of the NNUH.
If local families have been treated for heart disease at NNUH, there is a good chance that the equipment has been funded by the Norfolk Heart Trust. There are lots of different ways that a heart can go wrong, which is why heart disease is the single biggest cause of death in the UK every year.
Common problems include angina, heart failure, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms and congenital heart disease (those that you are born with). The Norfolk Heart Trust’s aim is to improve the quality and quantity of life for sufferers of all these conditions, making sure that they can be treated close to home, friends and family in an environment that is friendly and supportive. To achieve this, several fundraising campaigns have been run and this has allowed the Norfolk Heart Trust to buy equipment such as heart scanners, X-ray equipment, equipment to treat electrical problems in the heart, ECG machines and monitors, as well as provide specialist training for doctors, nurses and other health professionals in the field of cardiac care. The Norfolk Heart Trust is also contributing to a number of key research projects being run at the Hospital.
In the UK, Heart disease is the biggest killer. Every minute the BHF spends £92 on vital heart research to help save lives. Living a healthy lifestyle and getting regular health checks are important to help prevent heart disease and spot any problems early.
Nick Pember, Cardiology Charge Nurse said: “We see over 3,500 patients a month with a heart condition who benefit from the specialist cardiac services, provided at the NNUH. For national heart month, we are asking everyone to have a big heart and help with our fundraising efforts for the benefit of local heartpatients. We are very grateful for the opportunity to raise funds for the BHF who have supported training for many of our nurses at the hospital and the Norfolk Heart Trust who have in the past funded our heart X-ray and Heart Electrical treatment equipment .
“There are about 2.6 million people in the UK living with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Every single one of us has a heart which means every one of us is at potential risk. Understanding heart conditions isn’t an easy task – there are lots of different types and knowing how the heart works is more helpful when trying to learn about these conditions. But looking at the facts will benefit yourself and the people you love in the long run.’’