Cardiac support services

The following services are available to cardiac patients at each of our Barts Health hospitals.

Patient care advisors

After you are referred to us, you will be assigned a patient care advisor. Your advisor is your single point of contact for any questions that you or your relatives have about your care.

Physiologists

Our team of cardiac physiologists work closely with doctors and nurses to perform diagnostic tests on your heart looking at things like blood pressure, heart rate and electrical activity. These can be invasive or non-invasive. We also have specialist exercise physiologists who will study how your heart responds to movement and exercise. Cardiac surgeons and doctors rely on these findings to diagnose problems and decide on treatment.

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists have an important role to play in your care journey. Using their specialist skills in exercise, movement, electrotherapy and manual techniques such as manipulation and mobilisation, they help patients resume as active and independent a life as possible.

Psychologists

Our team of specialist psychologists can help you at all parts of your care journey. They work with patients experiencing things such as depression, anxiety disorders, diffiulty overcoming a diagnosis, loss of confidence and change of lifestyle.

Rehabilitation

Our cardiac rehabilitation programme is for local patients who have experienced chest pain, a heart attack or any other cardiac condition. During the programme, you’ll learn more about your heart and how to reduce the risk of future problems. It includes educational sessions, relaxation techniques, nutritional advice and guided physical exercise such as walking and cycling. We have also developed a range of materials in Bengali.

More about our Psychological Services

Barts Heart Centre (BHC) Psychological Services provides a confidential psychological therapy service for patients at St Bartholomew’s Hospital under the following teams: 

  • Adult Congenital Cardiology 
  • Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions 
  • Electrophysiology (including people with devices) 
  • Heart Attack Centre (heart attacks and cardiac arrests) 
  • Critical Care Follow Up Clinic 
  • Heart Failure 

We are a specialist service offering psychological therapy and art therapy connected to what it’s like to live with a heart condition. We work with inpatients and outpatients, and we also work with family members of patients. 

Living with a long-term heart problem or having a heart event can cause a range of emotions including fear, sadness, anger, guilt and numbness. Some people might feel scared about procedures or doing everyday activities, some might worry about the future and their health, some might feel resentful about the limits that the heart problem or device might bring. Families might also feel worried or sad and may notice a change in their relationship.  

We specialise in supporting people to manage their emotional wellbeing related to having a heart problem or a heart event. We might offer you coping strategies, some ways of exploring your identity or relationship with your heart problem or help to understand why you might be struggling emotionally. 

After people are referred to our service, we offer a brief telephone assessment to talk about the main difficulties and hopes for support.  

Our options for therapeutic support include:  

  • workshops – including ‘Life after a Heart Attack’ or ‘Life after a Cardiac Arrest’  
  • psychological therapy – online, telephone or face-to-face at St Bartholomew’s Hospital 
  • art therapy – mainly offered face-to-face at St Bartholomew’s Hospital 
  • joint working and consultation with the medical and/or surgical teams  

We normally offer short term interventions (up to six sessions) and often refer or signpost to other psychological services if needed.  

Contact us on 020 3765 8807 or bartshealth.bhcpsychology@nhs.net with any questions or to cancel or rearrange an appointment.