Demand for cardiac rehab spikes - as staffing numbers plummet

Heart patient Noel Flannery with his son Kenan, 22, and daughter, Kyra, 11.

Lifesaving rehabilitation for heart patients is in ‘absolute crisis’ and no hospital in Ireland has a full team in place to help them recover, the Irish Heart Foundation has warned.

The cardiac rehab (CR) waiting list for heart attack, stroke and heart failure patients has exceeded 2,800 – a 54% increase since 2013 – while staffing levels have plummeted by 40%.