The BEAT Breathlessness programme is offering free community health checks to help identify potential heart or lung conditions sooner. Organisers hope earlier diagnosis will reduce emergency hospital admissions.
Shortness of breath, fatigue, and swollen ankles are symptoms that can be easy to ignore, yet they often serve as critical early warning signs for conditions such as heart failure or lung disease. To help address these health concerns, Everton in the Community has launched “Beat Breathlessness,” a free health service delivered in Liverpool alongside NHS partners.
James Yates, Health Screening Lead for Everton in the Community, explained that the clinic operates every Wednesday at The People’s Place. The service allows patients to self-refer or receive a referral from their GP. Beyond scheduled clinic visits, the program conducts community outreach by visiting various organizations to perform initial screenings. These screenings assess whether an individual requires more comprehensive diagnostic testing, such as echocardiograms or spirometry, which can be completed at the clinic. By utilizing these tools, the team can provide patients with a diagnosis of asthma, COPD, or heart failure by the end of their visit.
“We can really have someone with a diagnosis of asthma, COPD, or heart failure by the end of their visit to the clinic,” Yates noted. Once diagnosed, patients are integrated into the NHS care system through established links with local hospitals, ensuring they can receive ongoing treatment.
Supported by the British Heart Foundation and the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, the program aims to intervene early when conditions are most treatable. Nick Hartshorne-Evans, CEO of the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, emphasized the necessity of these community-based opportunities. “It’s really important to get people early. We know when we get people early, it’s treatable,” he said. The initiative is particularly focused on areas of high deprivation where heart failure remains highly prevalent.
Longtime Everton fan Raymond Catesby, who utilized the service for an assessment, praised the accessibility of the clinic. After years of experiencing symptoms he previously dismissed as merely signs of aging, Catesby was referred to Aintree Hospital for further testing following his visit. Reflecting on the impact of the clinic, he shared, “I know it isn’t just old age. It’s things that can be made better with exercise.” Through the support of the program, participants are finding the clarity and resources needed to manage their health effectively.
