Patients who have suffered heart attacks are too often not getting the advice and follow-up care they need on leaving hospital in order to make a full recovery, a survey has found.
The Healthcare Commission quizzed nearly 4,000 heart patients who attended NHS trusts across England.
Many said they left hospital without basic advice about diet and exercise.
And 63% - including nearly half of heart attack patients - said they had not taken part in a cardiac rehabilitation programme.
A Healthcare Commission report on coronary heart disease which was published earlier this year highlighted many improvements that have been made.
Patients are getting treatment more quickly and death rates are coming down.
But the Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission said that more still needed to be done to raise standards of rehabilitation and care given to patients after they are discharged from hospital.
Speaking in a national news report, Anna Walker said:
"It is essential that measurements are set in place to ensure that trusts are meeting heart patients' needs."
Alexander Harris handles a number of claims in relation to the drug Vioxx, which has been found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Client support manager Sarah Head said:
"It is important that hospitals provide a rehabilitation programme for patients who have suffered a heart attack or stroke. While it's good that patients are accessing treatment more quickly, more still needs to be done to support patients enabling them to live a normal life after having a heart attack."
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- 14/02/2005: Vioxx linked to heart attacks and strokes
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