Cardiac rehabilitation services: are they provided equitably?

Government initiatives such as The NHS Plan and the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease have set standards and guidelines for the provision of cardiac care, with the aim of ensuring equitable access to quality care across the country. One requirement is for groups of patients with cardiac disease to be offered access to cardiac rehabilitation programmes. An evaluation of one such service found gaps in service provision, and steps were taken to address these gaps. In many cases, further resources will be required for services to achieve their targets.