Publish date: 22 August 2023
Free five-minute heart valves checks are on offer in Blackpool town centre tomorrow when the healthy heart bus pulls up in Bickerstaffe Square.
The face-to-face stethoscope examination is the most straightforward method to detect a heart murmur, the key indicator of valve disease. This condition, if left untreated, can have life-threatening consequences.
So far, 2,750 people have hopped on the bus in 10 UK cities for a free heart check with an undiagnosed illness found in 12% of visitors.
Three people have been so poorly they were taken directly to hospital but usually the team provides a letter for the person’s GP if there is cause for concern so they can be referred to their local cardiology departments for further investigation. The bus will be in Blackpool between 10am and 3pm.
Dr Andrew Wiper, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, said: “The buses have helped educate the nation on the symptoms of heart valve disease. It has shone a spotlight on the condition, improved people’s understanding of it and saved many lives. I’m very hopeful we will raise a lot more awareness in Blackpool. We’ll have cardiologists and nurses on board all day.”
