How CHSS Can Help

Advice Line 

Talk to our Advice Line practitioners on the phone on 0808 801 0899 or via email at [email protected] for free, confidential advice and support. No question is too big or too small. Anyone is welcome to call.  

Advice line webpage: Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Advice Line – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

If you’re looking to refer yourself, a patient, or a on behalf of a friend/family member to the Advice Line, please see the Referral Form  · Starter Portal (powerappsportals.com) 

Health Information 

Learn more about heart conditions (and others!), healthy lifestyle recommendations, how to manage heart conditions well at home, and more by reading our Essential Guides and online health information. Physical copies of health information can also be ordered for free. Anyone is welcome to access these.  

To see the full list of health information and download/order resources, please visit Resources Hub – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

Heart information and support webpage: Heart Information & Support – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

Community Support Services  

Individuals with heart conditions can get one-to-one support from our Community Support team. The team can help provide physical and emotional support needed to recover well at home.  

To learn more about the community support service, please talk to our Advice Line on the phone on 0808 801 0899 or via email at [email protected] . 

To access the Community Support Service, please fill out a referral form. If you’re looking to refer yourself, a patient, or a on behalf of a friend/family member to the Community Support Service, please see the Referral Form  · Starter Portal (powerappsportals.com) . 

Peer Support Groups 

CHSS has over 100+ affiliated Peer Support Groups across Scotland. Individuals are welcome to join a group to get support, socialise, and meet people who also have heart conditions.  

There is an online Women’s Health Peer Support Group that is open to women living with any of our conditions. To learn more and/or enquire to join the group, please visit Women’s Health Support Group – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

To learn more about Peer Support Groups at CHSS and/or find a group near you, please visit Peer Support Groups – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) . 

Kindness Calls  

If you – or someone you know – is impacted by chest, heart or stroke conditions or Long Covid and are feeling lonely or isolated, we’re here for you. Our Kindness Volunteers are here to provide regular Kindness Calls, offering a chat and a friendly listening ear. 

Please fill out the registration form so CHSS can match you with a Kindness Volunteer. If you are supporting someone who needs our help, you can fill out the form on their behalf. 

• Kindness Referral (office.com) 

To learn more about Kindness Calls, please visit the Kindness Calls webpage or email [email protected] . 

• Webpage: We’re Here to Help – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

Health Defence 

Learn how to live well and look after yourself to reduce your risk of developing a chest, heart, or stroke condition. The Health Defence team offers a range of services including free health checks and specialist physical activity support to help people live their life to the fullest.  

To learn more about Health Defence at CHSS and/or find out what services are available near you, please visit Health Defence Scotland – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk)  

Physical Activity  

People who do regular physical activity can reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke by up to 35% . Regular physical activity can also help with managing the impact of chest, heart, stroke and Long COVID conditions.  

CHSS has a range of activities and support available to help people stay active. These include:  

• Scottish Football Association Partnership 
• CHSS has partnered with the Scottish FA to support improved health outcomes for women across Scotland  
• The partnership will expand the women’s recreational football programme across Scotland 
• To learn more, please visit Scottish Football Association – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 
• Walking for Health 
• Take steps towards a healthier you with local CHSS walking groups 
• To learn more about CHSS walking groups and/or find a walking group near you, visit Walking For Health – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 
• Walking Football 
• CHSS has partnered with Walking Football Scotland to help improve health and wellbeing through walking football (football game where players walk instead of run) 
• To learn about Walking Football with CHSS and/or to get involved, please visit Walking Football – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 
• Movement Matters 
• Movement Matters is a physical activity referral programme for service users and health professionals.  
• There are virtual and in-person physical activity sessions available  
• The physical activity sessions are accessible and there are variety of session types to suit different needs 
• People can refer themselves and health professionals can refer patients  
• To learn more about Movement Matters physical activity programme, please visit Movement Matters – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 
• To refer into the Movement Matters physical activity programme, please visit:  
• Physical Activity Self-Referral – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 
• Physical Activity Referral (HCP Only) – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 
• Boccia 
• CHSS works with Scottish Disability Sport to offer opportunities to play Boccia  
• Boccia is an accessible, target sport played indoors on a court. It can be played any time, in any place, and by anyone! 
• To learn more about Boccia at CHSS and/or how to find where to play near you, please visit CHSS and Boccia – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland 

To learn more about physical activity at CHSS, please visit Physical Activity – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

To find out more about the importance of exercise, how much physical activity you should do, how to get started, tips, resources and more on our Keeping Active page.  

• Keeping Active – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

Find out more 

Patient and Carer Education  

Learning more about your condition and how to manage it can help you understand how to look after yourself. 

Our educational resources are suitable for both patients and carers and includes everything from practical information about your condition to ways you can find support and resources to help you live life to the full. 

Our eLearning resources will help you learn more about chest, heart and stroke conditions and empower you to self-manage your condition at home. 

To learn more and/or access these educational resources, please visit Patient & Carer Education – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

Support for Healthcare Professionals  

CHSS can help support healthcare professionals in their endeavour to provide high quality care to patients. We also help to reduce the pressures that healthcare professionals are facing by working alongside them so they can focus on those with greater clinical need.  

We do this through:  

• Our supported self management and community recovery model that aims to boost health and wellbeing of people living with chest, heart, stroke or Long COVID conditions in Scotland.  
• Our No Life Half Lived model of care includes healthcare professionals, health defence practitioners, and community support staff and volunteers.  
• We provide a whole system approach to care for your patients when they return home from hospital or following a diagnosis in the community. 
• Our Community Healthcare Support Service works in partnership with NHS Health boards across Scotland, helping provide better care for people who need it most. Our offer to the NHS also includes training and education for healthcare professionals to improve patient care. 

To learn more about how CHSS support healthcare professionals, please visit Services and Support – Professionals – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

Women’s Health Action Plan  

CHSS is passionate about providing support for people affected by heart disease and we want to proactively tackle inequalities that women face when it comes to their health.  

CHSS created our own Women’s Health Action Plan to help us best support women’s health. It is aligned with the actions and recommendations of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.  

As part of the plan, we are refreshing our training to health professionals, improving public understanding and awareness, supporting more women with our conditions, and educating and supporting staff and volunteers on women’s health issues. 

To learn more about CHSS’ Women’s Health Action Plan, please visit Women’s Health – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk)  

Volunteer Opportunities  

Want to help make a difference through volunteering? There are many ways to help CHSS make a difference to people living with our conditions.   

Our amazing volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. We couldn’t do what we do without you! 

Volunteering with us can have a huge, positive impact on your life, at the same time as making sure people across Scotland with chest, heart and stroke conditions get the support they need to live life to the full. 

Examples of volunteering opportunities at CHSS include:  

• Kindness Call Volunteer that supports people with our conditions to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. 
• Community Connector Volunteer allows your volunteer anytime or anywhere, giving as much or as little time to tasks as you wish 
• Walk Leader Volunteer enable walks in local communities across Scotland  
• Shop Volunteer is an opportunity to volunteer in CHSS’ amazing boutiques and charity shops across Scotland  
• Peer Support Group Volunteers help peer support groups run smoothly and allow opportunities for people to connect 
• Fundraising Volunteers can join the team raising funds at our exciting local fundraising events  

To learn more about volunteering at CHSS and the volunteer opportunities available, please visit Volunteering – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) . 

Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest 

CHSS are working with the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish Government to develop a suite of support for those who have performed or witnessed CPR in the community.  

To learn more, please visit Provided CPR – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (chss.org.uk) 

eLearning

This module is considered an eLearning resource. It is one of many free, online, education resources that CHSS has developed to support our health information offer.

The suite of eLearning resources that CHSS has includes:

• STARs
  • This is the Stroke Training and Awareness Resources (STARs) that was commissioned by the Scottish Government to enhance educational opportunities for health and social care staff working with people affected by stroke.
• Core Competencies
  • This is an eLearning resource for health and social care staff to help enable them to become more knowledgeable and skilful in the area of stroke care.
• Advancing Modules
  • This resource is aimed at health and social care staff and builds on the core knowledge and skills that are covered in the Core Competencies resource
• HEARTe
  • Primarily designed for healthcare professionals and wider health and social care professions, this is a heart disease education resource.
• OHCA
  • The Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) resource aims to provide support and guidance for those attending an OHCA in a trained capacity.

While these eLearning resources are primarily aimed at health and social care professionals, anyone is welcome to access them!

To access the eLearning modules, please visit Home – CHSS eLearning