Final Stop For The Your Heart Matters Bus

Last Friday, the Your Heart Matters bus made its final call in Leeds. Over the past two years, the bus has visited cities and towns across the UK, promoting awareness of the red-flag symptoms of heart valve disease and the importance of stethoscope checks for over 65s.

The bus made its final stop at Leeds’ Kirkgate Market, where the campaign started during International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week 2021. On a rainy day in Leeds last week, we did 106 checks and spoke to hundreds more about heart valve disease. We were joined by local clinicians and our friends at Pumping Marvellous, the UK’s dedicated heart failure charity.

Over the past two years, the campaign has seen us speak to tens of thousands of people about heart valve disease, reached millions on media and seen the bus stop at the Houses of Parliament.

The fundamentals of the campaign were about awareness, education and health literacy, promoting good heart health and the importance of symptoms awareness of an individual’s health as well as those close to them.

While the bus will now retire, the Your Heart Matters campaign will not, and we will be working with our partners to put together a calendar for 2024 with a focus on health inequalities and hard-to-reach communities across the UK.

Heart Valve Voice Executive Director Wil Woan said, “Leeds on Friday was a fitting end to what has been an extraordinary campaign, back where it all started in 2021. Over the past two years, the campaign has raised the profile of heart valve disease nationally and has undoubtedly improved the detection and diagnosis of this serious condition. It would not have been possible without the support of patients, clinicians and NHS staff across the UK, as well as all the volunteers who contributed their time to the campaign.”

Heart Valve Voice would like to thank everyone who contributed to the campaign, particularly our partners Valve for Life, led initially by Professor Dan Blackman and then Dr Jon Byrne, who helped grow the campaign and drive clinical support.