Our head of BHF Scotland: Adapting to a new normal – British Heart Foundation

29 April 2020 James Jopling

Category: Blog

James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, writes about our steadfast commitment to support those in Scotland and across the UK who are living with heart and circulatory diseases during this difficult time. When I took up my role as Head of BHF Scotlandin January this year, never could I have imagined the world we are now living in - the new normal we are all trying to adapt to.

But amongst the understandable worry and uncertainty, one thing has remained steadfast our commitment to support the 720,000 people in Scotland living with heart and circulatory diseases and the very many others across the UK.

We are still learning how coronavirus (Covid-19) affects people with existing medical conditionsand its important to remember that most of those who develop Covid-19 have a mild illness and make a full recovery. However, information to date suggests that some with heart and circulatory diseases may be at increased risk of a more severe illness if infected. So that is why the BHF is here to offer support in every way we can.

Our dedicated cardiac nursing team and medical experts are working harder than ever, constantly reviewing the latest evidence so we can continue to give clear information on our BHF website and through our Heart Helpline.

Adapting to the new normal means finding new ways to support the nations hearts. We are working closely with our colleagues across the NHS in Scotland to develop alternative methods of delivering services, such as cardiac rehabilitation at home, to provide on-going care for those who need it.

Our support for people with heart and circulatory diseases is unwavering, as is our commitment to funding world-class research. As a medical research charity, we are inspired by the way the global scientific communityhas come together to tackle Covid-19.

We know from nearly 60 years of experience that research takes hard work, commitment and boundless energy. We are doing everything we can to enable our researchers to take part in the extraordinary efforts to beat this pandemic.

And of course, research into heart and circulatory diseases is still at the heart of what we do. Even in these challenging times, we continue to support our 240 scientists right across Scotland, who are working tirelessly to help all of us live longer, healthier lives. The research we fund is as vital as ever and we are committed to making sure it can continue in the future.

However, like many charities, the crisis is going to have a big impact on our income. Our shops have closed and scores of fundraising events have been cancelled. The many millions of pounds of funding charities give to medical research must not be overlooked in a crisis that ultimately research will be critical in solving.

Many have asked how they can help our work continue which is both humbling and much appreciated. The simplest way is by making a donation.

Rest assured, our amazing people across Scotland and the rest of the UK are continuing to work hard to ensure that we protect our life saving work, and that when this crisis subsides, we will be in the best place possible to continue in our mission. So that together we can beat heartbreak forever.

More here:
Our head of BHF Scotland: Adapting to a new normal - British Heart Foundation