About Us
Our classes are designed to encourage long-term maintenance of physical activity and lifestyle change. Both must be sustained for cardiac benefits to continue after discharge from the hospital.
In 1985 there was no organised care for people in Glasgow and the West of Scotland who had experienced a cardiac event. Mary Newton and Morag Thow, two physiotherapists, realised that this care was important as the West of Scotland had some of the highest rates of coronary heart disease in the world.
Dr John McArthur of the Western Infirmary supported a pilot ‘Phase III 12 week exercise programme’ at Gartnavel General Hospital. Furthermore, Mrs Linda Harley was the first cardiac rehabilitation specialist nurse to be employed to support patients and families.
This pilot proved very successful, and the 12 patients then requested a community maintenance exercise group.
Our programme became the model that all Glasgow hospitals caring for cardiac patients adopted for patients and families across the city. Now, Glasgow has one of the largest and best comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programmes in the UK.
