If you have experienced a heart attack or undergone heart surgery, the Northern Trust offers a comprehensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Service to support your recovery.
What is cardiac rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation is a structured programme combining exercise, education, and lifestyle support to help you return to everyday life as safely and confidently as possible.
Our specialist nurse-led service supports patients who have had:
- A heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ± stent insertion
- Heart valve surgery
How we support you
Your rehabilitation journey begins in hospital, where a Cardiac Nurse Specialist will:
- Carry out a holistic assessment
- Provide information and emotional support to you and your family
- Identify risk factors and agree personalised recovery goals
Following discharge:
- You will receive a follow-up phone call
- An appointment will be arranged within 1–2 weeks
- You will be invited to attend a 7-week education and exercise programme
Flexible options
If you cannot attend group sessions, we offer a home-based programme using the Heart Manual, providing step-by-step guidance for managing your recovery at home.
We also work closely with local leisure centres to help you stay active long-term once your programme is complete.
Benefits of cardiac rehabilitation
Our service is designed to:
- Support your physical and emotional recovery
- Reduce the risk of future heart problems
- Improve your confidence and quality of life
- Help prevent unnecessary hospital or GP visits
We provide care in a supportive, and non-judgemental environment, with patients at the centre of everything we do.
How to contact us
Antrim Office
- Telephone: 028 9442 4000 extension: 332889
Whiteabbey Office
- Telephone: 028 9055 2412
Mid Ulster Office
- Telephone: 028 7936 5005
Causeway Office
- Telephone: 028 7032 7032 extension: 375267
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
How to access the service
You can be referred to cardiac rehabilitation through:
- Cardiology wards at Antrim and Causeway Hospitals
- Your GP
- Other cardiac rehabilitation teams
- Self-referral
Useful resources
This short video introduces our Cardiac Rehabilitation Service and explains how we support you on your recovery journey after a heart event or surgery.
You’ll hear how the programme can help you regain confidence, improve your health, and return to everyday life with the right support.
If you have watched the introductory video, please consider completing our short survey.
For additional advice and resources, visit the British Heart Foundation.