Who we are
Why we are here
Welcome to Heartlink and our website!
Have a look round the site to get full details of what we do and our many activities
You can find help and advice about heart disease by clicking the link HERE.
We want you to join us, whether you need help yourself, want to help others or just want to get involved.
Heartlink is a local charity led by heart patients, for heart patients and their families. Based in Southall, Greenford, Hanwell, Ealing, and West London, we provide support and advice to those living with heart conditions, especially those undergoing or recovering from hospital treatment.
While clinical staff focus on medical care, Heartlink offers something equally vital, personal understanding and guidance from those who’ve been through the same journey.
We are deeply committed to raising awareness about heart disease risk factors within the community. By hosting educational workshops, health awareness events, and outreach campaigns, we help individuals identify and address common risks such as high blood pressure, poor diet, smoking, and lack of exercise.
Our goal is to empower people with the knowledge they need to make healthier choices and reduce their chances of developing heart-related conditions.
. Our website is 'heartlink.charity'.
See the 'About us' section for fuller details of us and what we do.
Coping with a Heart Attack
At our March meeting Dr Pamela Kaushal, who is an experienced Consultant Psychiatrist at a nearby NHS Trust, talked to us about ‘coping with a heart attack’ and gave a range of useful advice about the pressures and worries caused by heart conditions. Her talk was attended by a packed room of 60 Heartlink members and supporters and chaired by Heartlink Vice Chair, Sunny Chana. If you missed her talk you can catch up by viewing the video below.
She started by getting us to join her in a few minutes of silent mindfulness to help relieve immediate anxiety. She then explained very clearly how some of the symptoms many of us suffer from, particularly after heart treatment, can be caused by our worry and stress. This can include palpitations, sweating, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath and even chest pains. It is vital to become familiar with and practise useful coping routines to take our minds away from the immediate anxiety. For heart patients suffering from stress it is important to keep immediate treatments to hand including aspirin and a GTN spray. The availability of these can help get us out of panic attacks.
She told us that, after heart attacks more than 50% of patients suffer from depression, and she stressed how important it is for people to seek help for this via their GP, who can refer them for assistance.
Dr Kaushal dealt with a range of important questions from the audience and stayed to talk to the individual members afterwards. Sunny extended our thanks and appreciation for her helpful talk and we presented her with a thank you gift.
Dr. Sethi talks to Heartlink Members and Ealing Worshippers
Despite torrential rain, over 50 members and supporters of Heartlink attended our February educational seminar at Ealing Hospital to hear one of our Trustees, Dr. Amarjit Sethi, speak on the rising rates of cardiovascular deaths in people under 65.
Dr. Sethi is a leading and highly experienced cardiologist, working across several London hospitals including Ealing Hospital, and, as a Heartlink Trustee, he helps guide our charity’s work in supporting heart health awareness and patient care.
He explained the growing number of cardiovascular deaths and outlined the standard modifiable risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. He highlighted how many lives could be saved by improving treatment for these conditions.
Dr. Sethi also addressed additional contributors to heart health problems, including unhealthy lifestyles, poor diet, excessive alcohol intake, physical inactivity, obesity, and stress. Genetics, pollution, and socioeconomic factors also play a significant role.
He emphasised simple steps everyone can take to reduce their risk and discussed the potential for future improvements in treatment through technology and AI.
A lively discussion followed for nearly an hour, with many heart patients providing positive feedback on the session. You can
view his presentation by clicking here.
Just 10 days later, as part of the Heartlink Outreach programme, Dr. Sethi delivered a similar talk to a large audience at Ealing Gurdwara, taking time to respond to questions from attendees.
You can see a video of his talk below.
These events highlight how Heartlink actively supports local patients and raises awareness of heart health in our communities.
Beyond talks, Heartlink’s outreach work includes delivering educational presentations, running volunteer information stalls with BHF and other resources at community events, and maintaining permanent booklet displays at multiple public locations.