‘Stand up to Heart Failure’ campaign recognised by Irish Healthcare Awards

The Irish Heart Foundation in partnership with Novartis Ireland, received a prestigious Irish Healthcare Award last night (Wednesday, 17 October) for its hugely successful ‘Stand Up to Heart Failure’ campaign, supported by Edelman.

Novartis Ireland, Croi, The Heartbeat Trust, Edelman and the Irish Heart Foundation won the ‘Patient Education Project of the Year – Pharmaceutical’ category at the awards which was sponsored by Four Health Media.

The ‘Stand Up to Heart Failure’ campaign aimed to raise awareness of heart failure- a condition that affects more than 90,000 people in Ireland.

The campaign ambassador was RTE sports presenter Michael Lyster who was diagnosed with heart failure in 2012.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign Mr Lyster said, “It was important for me to get involved in this campaign as I understand how frustrating it can be for those living with heart failure, as it is often a forgotten condition.

“Heart failure is something you can manage on a day to day basis. Yes, you have to make sure you take your medication, watch what you eat and drink and get your exercise. But you can’t let it hold you back. I had to stand up to my condition, not let it impact my work or my life.

“I encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the symptoms and risk factors, and to visit your doctor if you have concerns and to make sure you get the best treatment available,” he said.

Heart Failure is a debilitating, life-threatening condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body because the muscle of the heart becomes too weak or too stiff to work properly.

However, with access to timely diagnosis, appropriate medical management, and follow-up services, a patient’s prognosis can be significantly improved.

Organised by the Irish Medical Times, the Irish Healthcare Awards are now in their 17th year and often dubbed ‘The Oscars’ of Irish healthcare. The awards took place at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin and were hosted by Dr Pixie McKenna GP, best known for her roles in Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies and Food Hospital.

The overall winner of the Duais Mhór trophy on the night was Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (Cardiology) for its Shared Care of Paediatric Heart Transplantation between Ireland and England (SoPHIE) project. This initiative also won the Hospital Project of the Year which was sponsored by Vhi Healthcare.

The highly prestigious ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ went to Dr Harry Comber, Founder and Founding Director of the National Cancer Registry Ireland.

Commenting on the awards Nancy Ward , Corporate Partnerships Manager, Irish Heart Foundation said, “We were thrilled to be selected from the other very strong campaigns shortlisted in the category, all worthy of winning. This award highlights what can be accomplished when organisations come together with a common goal, in this case, increasing awareness of Heart Failure and life after diagnosis. A campaign of this scale would not have been possible without the expertise of Edelman and funding from Novartis. Huge thanks to our partners for their ongoing support, as we continue our work in this area.”