Cardiac rehabilitation in the UK: uptake among under-represented groups.

T he National Service Framework for coronary heart disease (CHD) states that cardiac rehabilitation should be provided for all patients who may benefit, and that priority should be given in the first instance to those who have survived a myocardial infarction (MI) or undergone revascularisation. This was recently endorsed by the fifth report on the provision of services for patients with heart disease. Previous surveys of provision of cardiac rehabilitation in the UK have shown that patients attending such programmes tend to be male, middle aged, and diagnosed with uncomplicated MI. Little is known of the current UK provision of cardiac rehabilitation or adherence to such programmes in those from traditionally under-represented groups. Under-represented groups include elderly people, women, people from ethnic minorities, and those with angina or heart failure, some of whom may benefit more than the patients using these services. This study aims to describe current UK provision and to determine whether and how cardiac rehabilitation is promoted in under-represented groups.