Last week Surrey Arrhythmia Support Group (SurreyASG) teamed up with NHS Surrey Downs Clinical Commissioning Group, Southern Tutors and the cardiology team from Epsom Hospital to offer free Electrocardiograms (ECGs) to adults in the Ashley Shopping Centre in Epsom.

By monitoring individual pulse rates over a 30 second period, cardiologists can observe from an ECG output where irregularities occur, and if these suggest there could be an underlying health condition such as Atrial Fibrillation (AF), which is a major cause of strokes.

Over a three hour period they saw 108 individuals, and found three new cases of undiagnosed AF and five other cases of pulse irregularities, which required follow-up.

All individuals with irregularities were reviewed by a member of Epsom’s cardiology team and given a follow-up form, together with a copy of their ECG to take to their GP; preventing a possible eight strokes!

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of an abnormal heart rhythm and affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK; developing in one in four people.

Although most people who have AF are over 65, younger people can be affected too. Having AF increases your risk of suffering a stroke by nearly 500%, and therefore early diagnosis is key for effective treatment. Although some people do not show symptoms of AF, common factors include: Palpitations (this might feel like a thumping or fluttering sensation in your chest), feeling faint at times, breathlessness, being tired or feeling less able to exercise.

Cllr Jane Race, MD of Southern Tutors, and Chair of SurreyASG said. "This is a great achievement and wonderful that staff from Epsom Hospital were out in the community as part of Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Week, helping to prevent strokes. It has been a great day here in the Ashley Centre. We have had a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone for coming, and thank you to the Ashley Centre for welcoming us again. I look forward to organising more of these events in the new year."

Based on information supplied by Jane Race.