Celebrities back calls for heart rhythm patients to make their voices heard to UK's 'heart czar.

Sir Roger Moore backs calls for arrhythmia sufferers to put their views on a proposed heart policy to the UK government. The new policy will boost arrhythmia services in the UK.

(PRWEB) June 27, 2004 -- What do Sir Roger Moore, Michael Winner, former England rugby captain, Bill Beaumont, Sir Elton John, and 'footballers wife Ela Star Garside have in common?

The answer is they have all been affected by types of arrhythmia, or heart rhythm disorders.                                                                        

Ela, partner of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Michael Brown, is joining Sir Roger Moore and Bill Beaumont in backing an appeal from the charity Arrhythmia Alliance. A-A is calling for heart rhythm patients to put their views on how arrhythmias are diagnosed and treated to the governments heart czar, Dr Roger Boyle, and leading cardiologists, on Thursday 1st July 2004 at the Royal College of Physicians.

Film director and restaurant critic, Michael Winner, will address the meeting to talk about his own experiences of arrhythmia.

Dr Boyle, the National Director for Heart Disease, is working with charities such as A-A on a consultation for a new chapter in the 'heart bible on arrhythmias. He is keen to hear from people affected by the conditions and those with an interest in the subject, to find out how they feel the NHS could improve diagnosis and treatment.

700,000 people in the UK are affected by types of cardiac arrhythmias, covering a broad spectrum of conditions. These include Atrial Fibrillation (affects 500,000 patients in the UK), supraventricular tachycardia, (affecting 125,000 patients in the UK) Syncope (Transient Loss of Consciousness -- T-LOC, which causes 1% of all admissions to hospital and is in the top 10 causes of emergency admission), and Reflex Anoxic Seizures, to sudden cardiac death, (affecting at least 75,000 patients in the UK).

Ela Star Garside has welcomed the news that arrhythmias are set to be tackled by the government. She believed for a long time that she suffered from epilepsy and had been taking anti-epileptic drugs. It wasnt until she saw a leading UK cardiologist, Dr Adam Fitzpatrick, that she was diagnosed with reflex syncope, a type of arrhythmia where the heart can slow, and in some cases even briefly stop, leading to a blackout. Ela is one of over 100,000 patients in the UK diagnosed with epilepsy who dont actually have it at all. Many of these patients actually have a cardiovascular cause or arrhythmia causing collapse. These episodes are very difficult to distinguish from epilepsy and need specialist care.

Sir Roger Moore, who was fitted with a pacemaker after blacking out while on stage, has also backed calls for those with arrhythmias to speak out, "I think it is marvellous that people suffering with heart rhythm problems are getting the chance to make their voices heard at the very top. My pacemaker has meant I can continue to live an active life - I hope the same will soon be true for the thousands of people in the UK suffering with arrhythmias."

Bill Beaumont, former England rugby captain, is living with another type of arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation. He is the founding patron of Arrhythmia Alliance. He said, As I know from experience, having heart rhythm problems can be very frightening. I would say to anyone who's worried about a problem to make sure they get to see a specialist. Hopefully the changes coming up will mean getting to see the right doctor will be easier in the future."

The meeting will be the first conference of Arrhythmia Alliance, a grouping of patient support groups, medical groups, professional bodies and industry allies. The charity was founded to take the heart agenda forward after the highly successful ArrhythmiA Awareness Week, because services for the many patients with arrhythmias are very poor in the UK compared to Western Europe and the USA. The AAAW campaign helped convince the Department of Health that arrhythmia should be included in the Cardiovascular NSF.

This preliminary meeting will involve potential stakeholder groups, medical professionals, patient groups and patients, who will be able to express their views on what should now be included in the new chapter, currently under consultation. Professor John Camm, consultant cardiologist at St Georges Hospital, London, and President of Arrhythmia Alliance, will chair the meeting. Discussion groups will take place during the day with presentations being made into the need for improving the way heart rhythm disorders are diagnosed and treated within the NHS.

A-A Trustee, Dr Adam Fitzpatrick said, This is a fantastic opportunity for people who know first hand about arrhythmias to make their views known to those who make health policy. It means that finally, people with heart rhythm disorders will have the prospect of improved facilities for diagnosis and treatment and better training can be made available for medical and allied professionals. It will lead to a better quality of life for thousands of people like Ela Star Garside in the UK."

The new chapter is expected to be completed by March 2005. Those wishing to attend should contact Arrhythmia Alliance as soon as possible on 01789 450787 or email arrhythmiaall@aol.com

Editors Notes:
1.Arrhythmia Alliance website can be found at www.arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk.
2.Email: arrhythmiall@aol.com, Tel: 01789 450 787.
3.If you would like to attend the meeting, please contact Trudie Lobban at the above contact details as soon as possible. All interested press are welcome.
4.The consultation document can be found at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/LiveConsultations/LiveConsultationsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4082074&chk=3%2BGw85
5.If you would like to interview Dr Fitzpatrick or one of A-As representatives about their involvement in drafting the new NSF chapter on arrhythmia, contact Trudie Lobban at the above number or Tania Tirraoro on 07947 063936.
6.Ela Star Garside can be contacted through Arrhythmia Alliance on the above numbers.
7.Sir Roger Moore is a patron of the charity STARS, 0800 0286362, www.stars.org.uk
8.Arrhythmia Alliance is a coalition of professional bodies, patient groups and industry allies. It includes cardiology societies BPEG (British Pacing and Electrophysiology Group) and UKICES (Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology Society), STARS (Syncope Trust & Reflex anoxic Seizures), CMA (Cardiomyopathy Association), SADS UK (Sudden Adult Death Trust), Multi-Ed, APC Cardiovascular Ltd, Association of British Heart Industry (ABHI)