The cardiac rehabilitation service accepts inpatient and tertiary outpatient referrals.

Referrals are typically for patients with one of the following conditions:

  • ischaemic heart disease
  • following a heart attack or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
  • pre- and post-surgical patients
  • following a transcatheter aortic valve implantation
  • after a heart transplant
  • stable heart failure patients

We accept inpatient and tertiary outpatient referrals for patients with ischaemic heart disease, post-heart attack (ST-elevation myocardial infarction — STEMI — and non-STEMI) post-primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and elective PCI, pre and post-surgical patients, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients, post-heart transplant, and stable heart failure patients. 

You can refer patients directly to us using the relevant email address below. 

We accept referrals with a short covering note giving the reason for referral, and details of treatment: often the discharge summary following treatment is sufficient. We also need past medical history, if not included on the discharge summary. Please ensure the patient is aware that the referral has been made. 

Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital team 

EN1 to EN11 postcode areas

Team leader: Stacey Sitton
Tel: 020 8216 4824
Internal extension: 64824
Email: rf-tr.cardiacrehabilitation@nhs.net 

Royal Free Hospital team 

North Camden and South Barnet

Team Leader: Shiji Samuel 
Tel: 020 7830 2871 
Internal extension: 31060 
Email: rf.cardiacrehab@nhs.net

Each team is comprised of highly specialised cardiac nurses and a dedicated specialist exercise instructor for heart patients. We also have close links with the psychology service and a dedicated clinical psychologist attached to the service.

We visit patients while they are on the ward, following their heart attack or procedure. Post-surgical patients would be seen by the cardiac rehab team in that hospital.

Should a patient be eligible for our programme and give their consent, we will then contact them to invite them for an assessment for our programme. This may be conducted face-to-face, or by telephone.

If a patient would like to attend exercise classes, then we will arrange an exercise capacity test.

Following this, we will then assess which programme would most benefit the patient. 

Exercise programmes are personalised and may be home-based exercise, face-to-face or a hybrid approach. We have chair-based and walking programmes, for use as appropriate.

Within our structured programmes, we aim to include elements of six core components covering health behaviour changes, lifestyle risk factor management, psychosocial health, medical risk management and long-term strategies with audit and evaluation.

Patients do not have to be enrolled on an exercise programme in order to attend the education sessions.

Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital team exercise programme

Monday: Chase Farm

Home-based exercise programme (telephone).

Tuesday: Barnet

  • 8.45am to 10.15am

  • 10.15am to 12.30pm (includes health education talks)
  • 2pm to 4pm

Thursday: Barnet

  • 9am to 11.30am (includes health education talks)
  • 11.30am to 1.00pm (‘Cardio lite’ for reduced mobility) 

Thursday: Chase Farm

Exercise classes at Holtwhites Sports and Social club (Enfield)

  • 9am to 10.30am
  • 10.30am to 12noon

We offer health education days to those patients who do not receive talks as part of their weekly programme.

Royal Free Hospital team exercise programme

Monday

Home-based exercise (telephone)

Tuesday

All include health education talks:
  • 10am to 11am 
  • 11am to 12noon

Wednesday

Home-based exercise (telephone)

Thursday

All include health education talks:

  • 11am to 12noon
  • 12noon to 1pm

Friday

Home-based exercise (telephone)

We also offer health education as part of our programme to complement our patients rehabilitation programme.

We have close links with the British Heart Foundation. Click the links below to read their useful leaflets and website information:

Cardiac rehabilitation

Healthy eating 

Physical activity

Understanding your risk factors