What role do specialist HF services play in the care of people with chronic heart failure?
The committee acknowledged that local dialogue about what HF services should provide for people with CHF might be useful, but may not be practical. The reports of the complexity of treating the comorbidities of patients with CHF, the nature of sub-speciality medical training, and the lack of a universal information system, highlighted the fact that the general practitioner, or another generalist such as a geriatrician, should be actively involved throughout the heart failure pathway. It was felt that HF specialists should primarily be involved in HF optimisation, while collaborating with other healthcare providers, who would be providing for the wider needs of patients.