Helping to raise awareness

The event was held last Wednesday as part of Arrhythmia Awareness Week, which was designed to educate people of this often misunderstood disease.

The team, backed by the Arrhythmia Alliance, manned stalls at the main reception at the hospital to let people know how to spot the onset of the condition which often goes undiagnosed.

Dr David Walker, cardiologist at the Conquest, said: "Unexplained blackouts, although sometimes due to simple faints, can often have a more serious cause such as a heart rhythm disturbance.

"Occasionally these attacks are incorrectly thought to be due to epilepsy, but anyone with unexplained blackouts should see their GP, so that this condition can be investigated further."

Cardiac Arrhythmias affect one million people in the UK and are responsible for 100,000 deaths each year.

For more information telephone 01789 450787, or visit the website at www.heartrhythmcharity.org.uk.