Kettering General Hospital makes further improvements

Photo taken at a cardiac rehabilitation warm-up session

KGH is set to expand its life enhancing cardiac rehabilitation services following a successful bid for funding.

NHS England have granted £305,000 to the Trust towards a plan to improve the care for more than 300 additional cardiac patients yearly. 

At the moment roughly 1,100 patients receive cardiac rehabilitation from KGH's every year.

KGH’s Cardiac Rehab Clinical Lead, Chika Obiechefu, said: “This is a major expansion to KGH’s cardiac rehabilitation service and it will have many benefits for patients.

“Cardiac rehabilitation helps to restore their confidence and helps to improve their quality of life by enabling them to be active and enjoy exercising.”

The funding will enable the Trust to strengthen its existing team by adding four new members of staff, including two nurses.

It will also provide additional patient information including heart manuals and DVDs for patients to use in their own time.

Additional sessions will also be held due to the funding at Waendal Leisure Centre in Wellingborough, The Wesleyan Church Hall in Rushden and Lodge Park Leisure Centre in Corby.

It is also hoped that the expansion of the cardiac rehabilitation service will increase the uptake and completion of cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardio Respiratory Service Manager Maxine White said: “By expanding the service we are able to offer rehabilitation in more locations closer to people’s homes and hope that the shorter journey time and local support will increase the number of people taking part in our rehabilitation programmes.

This comes as a welcome addition at KGH alongside last month's new £1m MRI scanner and the opening of the new dedicated stroke unit.

By Stephen Matthews