The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is often the first point of contact for patients seeking advice and reassurance on heart and cardiovascular conditions. Its Heart Helpline plays a crucial role, offering thousands of people timely, compassionate guidance at moments of great uncertainty. With demand for this service rising steeply, culminating in over 26,000 calls, emails, and live chats during 2023–24, the BHF has recently doubled the number of cardiac nurses staffing its helpline. Yet among the many cardiovascular conditions callers raise, aortic dissection remains one of the most complex and under-recognised. That’s why the British Heart Foundation turned to us, the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust, for our support, education and specialist expertise.
Empowering BHF Cardiac Nurses
As the UK and Ireland’s leading charity for aortic dissection, we are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and lived experience. Our work with the BHF represents a critical step in strengthening the helpline’s capacity to support individuals affected by aortic dissection, ensuring nurses can provide informed, confident advice. In a special training day dedicated to BHF cardiac nurses, we delivered essential education on the signs, risks, management and follow up for patients with aortic dissection and aortic aneurysms. More importantly, we explored how to support patients, carers, and families, many of whom are navigating the emotional fallout of a life-threatening diagnosis or the loss of a loved one.
Enhancing Confidence with Practical Support
The training included a comprehensive overview of the condition, guidance on symptom recognition, and the importance of prompt referral, treatment and follow up. We also highlighted the real-world experiences of patients and families, who often face long diagnostic delays and a lack of accessible information. Nurses were equipped with practical tools, including direct referral pathways to our website, downloadable patient guides, and emotional support resources. This integration of medical expertise and human insight is vital to ensuring families feel heard, understood, and supported.
Strengthening the Lifeline
For many, the Heart Helpline is both a medical resource and a lifeline during crisis. By enhancing the aortic dissection knowledge among BHF’s helpline nurses, funding specialist aortic nurses, and creating a Community of Practice for specialist aortic practitioners, we are helping ensure that no one faces this condition alone or without clarity. Whether dealing with confusing symptoms, worrying test results, or questions about recovery and lifestyle, patients and carers now have a better chance of receiving accurate and empathetic support from the very first call.
This partnership is part of our broader mission to raise awareness and improve outcomes for aortic dissection across the UK and Ireland. Together with the BHF, we are committed to ensuring that every person affected by this devastating condition gets the support, information, and understanding they need, when they need it most.
Speak to a Nurse
If you have questions about aortic disease or cardiovascular health, the BHF Heart Helpline offers free, expert guidance. You can speak in confidence with a cardiac nurse by calling 0808 802 1234 (freephone), available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).
