HF CALL TO ACTION AND TOOLKIT LAUNCH - SUPPORTING RESOURCES: TEMPLATE NEWSLETTER ARTICLES, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Please find the following media support materials here:

60 word ‘snippet’ (very short article) 120 word article stub 350 word template article Suggested tweets Suggested Facebook and LinkedIn posts Notes to editors

Please note: group photo (high res), the event video, report, and other photos and materials are available at http://www.hfpolicynetwork.eu/launch2015/

Interview requests and other media enquiries are welcome. Please feel free to email the HF Policy Network Secretariat on ed@hpolicy.com, or call on (+44) (0) 20 7406 7464.

***60 word news ‘snippet’ (very short)

World Heart Day 2015: Leading figures demand urgent action on heart failure

Heart failure (HF) affects 1 in 5 people in their lifetimes and carries a high human and economic cost. Yet few governments have recognised its strategic significance, and health outcomes for people living with HF remain unacceptable.

To challenge this, the HF Policy Network has launched a ten-point Call to Action to help drive meaningful health policy changes in HF across Europe.

See: www.hfpolicynetwork.eu

120 word article stub

World Heart Day 2015: Leading figures demand urgent action on heart failure

Politicians, patients and clinicians have joined together to issue a ‘wake up call’ to governments on heart failure (HF).

HF is a major strategic issue for healthcare systems, affecting 15 million people across Europe, with 1 in 5 of us at risk of developing the condition in our lifetime. HF carries a high human and economic cost, with prevalence set to increase in the future. Yet it is a forgotten condition by policymakers and awareness is low, even amongst healthcare professionals. Health outcomes for HF remain unacceptable.

To challenge this, the HF Policy Network has launched a Call to Action on HF and a supporting HF PolicyToolkit, to help governments across Europe drive meaningful health policy changes in HF.

To read more, or to support the Call to Action, see: www.hfpolicynetwork.eu

HF CALL TO ACTION AND TOOLKIT LAUNCH - SUPPORTING RESOURCES: TEMPLATE NEWSLETTER ARTICLES, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

350 word newsletter article:World Heart Day 2015: Politicians, patients and doctors unite to demand action by governments on heart failure

A new cross-sectoral alliance, the Heart Failure Policy Network, has issued a ‘wake up call’ for governments across Europe in the form of a ten-point Call to Action on heart failure (HF).

World Heart Day, 29th Sept 2015: members and key supporters of the HF Policy Network launch a new Call to Action on HF in the European Parliament, Brussels.

Today, HF affects 15 million people across Europe, with 1 in 5 of us at risk of developing HF in our lifetime. HF is one of the few cardiovascular conditions where prevalence is rising, potentially by as much as 25% by 2030.

Yet despite its strategic significance and high cost to society, HF remains a forgotten condition by policy makers – and is largely unknown by the general public. Few countries feature HF in their cardiovascular health strategies. “Patient outcomes in HF are worse than those for most common forms of cancer” said Dr José Ramón Juanatey, member of the Heart Failure Policy Network and President of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, “and heart failure is not on healthcare professionals’ radars.”

HF is often considered to be a lost cause, when in fact much can be done to save lives and improve the quality of life of those affected. Many patients do not receive appropriate diagnosis and care, leading to avoidable patient suffering and expensive hospital admissions.

To challenge this, the HF Policy Network has launched a Call to Action on HF, demanding governments deliver on ten key priorities to help prevent, diagnose, and manage the condition more effectively. The Network has also published a supporting HF Policy Toolkit, an invaluable resource for politicians interested in making a difference to people living with HF. “We have one opportunity to get this right. If we don’t, a tsunami of costs will hit us,” said Nick Hartshorne-Evans, CEO of the patient organisation, the Pumping Marvellous Foundation. “There can be no way back. We are inviting people from all over Europe to sign the Call to Action, and to help focus governments on this critical issue.”

To read more, or to support the Call to Action, please see: www.hfpolicynetwork.eu

HF CALL TO ACTION AND TOOLKIT LAUNCH - SUPPORTING RESOURCES: TEMPLATE NEWSLETTER ARTICLES, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Suggested social media messages

Twitter

The hashtag to be used specifically for the event and discussions around it is: #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork.

In addition to this please find below suggestions for additional hashtags to be used when forming your own tailored messages in relation to social media discussions on heart failure, we have also listed the handles of key heart failure stakeholders so that you can more easily adapt or amend your social media messages to reach them directly.

KEY HASHTAGS

#heartfailure #CongestiveHeartFailure #Cardiomyopathy #HeartFailureAwareness #Hearthealth

#breathlessness #Cardiomyopathy #Cardiology #WorldHeartDay #WorldHeartDay2015

#misdiagnosis #Healthyheart #Heartcondition #patient #heartchoices

KEY HANDLES

@pumpinghearts @worldheartfed @MEPHeartGroup @FelixGutzwiller

@DGSante @EPHA_EU @EP_Environment @IanDuncanMEP

@escardio @Europarl_EN @MEPHeartGroup @marctarabella @HealthPolicyPtp

General tweets

Following the launch at @EuroParl_EN the #heartfailure toolkit is now live! Check out http://bit.ly/1LDCZgr and sign our #CalltoAction

Missed the #heartfailure toolkit launch on #worldheartday? Don’t worry, event report and video right here: http://bit.ly/1LaChUV

Heart failure toolkit event report and video now live! http://bit.ly/1LaChUV #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork @EuroParl_EN

What is being done to lead policy change for #heartfailure #patients? Look no further http://bit.ly/1LaChUV #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork

HF CALL TO ACTION AND TOOLKIT LAUNCH - SUPPORTING RESOURCES: TEMPLATE NEWSLETTER ARTICLES, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Raising awareness of our Call to Action

Sign our call to action and give hope to people with #heartfailure http://bit.ly/1PfSGLP #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork

HF affects 1 in 5 of us in our lifetimes. Show support and sign the #CalltoAction http://bit.ly/1PfSGLP #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork

Make #heartfailure a national priority and sign our call to action #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork http://bit.ly/1PfSGLP

I have signed the #heartfailure #CalltoAction. Will you? http://bit.ly/1PfSGLP #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork

Asking people to feature the event in their newsletters:

Spread the word on #heartfailure and feature the HF toolkit event in your newsletter! http://bit.ly/1LaChUV #HeartFailurePolicyNetwork

Wondering how to raise #awareness of #heartfailure? Feature the news of our @EuroParl_EN event in your newsletter! http://bit.ly/1LaChUV

LinkedIn and Facebook posts

Option 1: Heart Failure Policy Network launches HF Policy Toolkit, Sept 2015

On World Heart Day, the Heart Failure Policy Network launched an online toolkit to raise awareness and help policymakers identify the necessary changes in HF across Europe. The toolkit focuses on 10 key actions including investment in tools and resources in primary care, timely diagnosis, appropriate prevention measures and person-centred care. Our event video and launch report from the European Parliament are now live http://bit.ly/1LaChUV.

We now need your help in converting these policy recommendations into concrete action. Show your support and sign our Call to Action http://bit.ly/1PfSGLP

Option 2: Sign our Call to Action - help make Heart Failure a policy priority

Heart failure is a serious chronic condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to support the needs of other organs in the body. It is surprisingly common, with 1 in 5 people at risk of developing heart failure in their lifetime, and 15 million people currently living with the condition in Europe. I am a member of the Heart Failure Policy Network and we need your help in making sure heart failure is a policy priority. Check out the Heart Failure Policy Toolkit and sign our Call to Action http://bit.ly/1PfSGLP .

For more information, see our launch video and report here: http://bit.ly/1LaChUV

HF CALL TO ACTION AND TOOLKIT LAUNCH - SUPPORTING RESOURCES: TEMPLATE NEWSLETTER ARTICLES, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Note to editors:

Interviews and other media enquiries: we would be delighted to arrange interviews or to give any supporting commentary. Please feel free to email the HF Policy Network Secretariat on ed@hpolicy.com , or call on (+44) (0) 20 7406 7464.

The group photo (high res), the event video, report, and other photos and materials are available in the public domain at http://www.hfpolicynetwork.eu/launch2015/ .

About the HF Policy Network and Secretariat:

The HF Policy Network is a multidisciplinary group of politicians from across Europe working with patients, health professionals and other stakeholders to lead significant policy changes that may improve the lives of people with heart failure (HF).

All members have volunteered their time for free to build the Network, the HF Policy Toolkit and other key materials, and to raise awareness of HF as a policy priority.

The Network is independent, non-promotional and free from commercial influence or bias. All content produced is fully endorsed and owned by the members of the Network. The content of the Toolkit represents an evidence-based consensus shared between all members and members have full ownership and editorial control over the Toolkit.

The Network is supported through grants from Novartis Pharma and St Jude Medical. For more details of the Toolkit, the Call to Action, the Sept 2015 launch event, our members, our mission and objectives, and other activities to date, please see www.hfpolicynetwork.eu .

The Secretariat of the Network is run by the Health Policy Partnership, an independent health policy and research consultancy based in London, (UK). For more details on the Health Policy partnership, please see: See www.healthpolicypartnership.com or email ed@hpolicy.com .