Few UK vascular centres offer a fully NICE-compliant supervised exercise programme: a national audit

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Healthcare Provision

Background:

• Supervised exercise training (SET) is crucial for managing peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
• The pre-COVID-19 availability of SET services in UK Vascular Centres was assessed.
• Understanding current service provision is vital for improving patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the provision of supervised exercise training (SET) for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients in UK Vascular Centres before COVID-19.
• To evaluate the compliance of existing SET programmes with NICE guidelines.
• To identify barriers preventing the implementation and delivery of SET services.

Main Methods:

• An online questionnaire was distributed to UK Hospital Trusts providing vascular care.
• Data were collected from the National Vascular Registry to identify eligible centres.
• Respondents reported on SET availability, NICE guideline compliance, and implementation challenges.

Main Results:

• Of 59 responding UK vascular centres, only 27 (46%) offered SET, and 21 (36%) offered it to all PAD patients.
• Just four centres (6.8%) provided SET fully compliant with NICE guidelines.
• Identified barriers included insufficient funding, lack of resources, and poor patient compliance.

Conclusions:

• The availability of beneficial SET for PAD patients in the UK is inadequate.
• Significant barriers to SET provision persist, including funding and resource limitations.
• Prioritizing research into novel delivery methods, like remote home exercise, is recommended to overcome these barriers.