The UK’s first Cardiovascular Patients Bill of Rights was launched by the British Cardiac Patients Association to sit alongside the NHS Constitution, to highlight the needs of heart disease patients around the UK and to fight for a standardised level of care to be delivered by the NHS.

   MPs of all parties joined the British Cardiac Patients Association in Westminster to support the launch of the Cardiovascular Patients’ Bill of Rights on Wednesday 15 January.

   The BCPA has developed the Bill of Rights to sit alongside the proposed NHS Constitution based on feedback we have received from patients and their families.

   It expands on what the new NHS Constitution should mean for cardiovascular patients. It also sets out the services that cardiovascular patients should expect from the NHS, as well as patients’ obligations to do what they can to help themselves and be a partner in the management of their own condition. The initiative has been supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb and sanofi-aventis.

   The Bill of Rights has been sent to every MP, along with policy-makers, PCTs and Cardiac and Stroke Networks. We are encouraging all primary care trusts to examine our Bill of Rights, to identify where they are already meeting the standards and where they could go further to support cardiovascular patients.

   Successes – and there are many – should be celebrated and shared. Equally, where a PCT fails to provide these fundamental rights they should be held accountable and explain why.

You can download a copy of the Cardiovascular Patients’ Bill of Rights

And also read our Press Release.

You may need Adobe's Acrobat Reader in order to view this file.

Visit Access Adobe to find out how people with disabilities can get the most from this software.