Jersey Fighting Failure, JeFF, has been launched to tackle heart failure in the island.

It is one of seven areas of the British Isles trialling a new approach to cardiology care.

Healthcare professionals will focus on early detection and innovative treatments for heart failure.

The Jersey Community Foundation has given the team a £50,000 grant to work on the project.

One technique, 'SLENDER', developed by the University of Oxford, will see if weight loss can help to improve heart function in patients.

A select number of people with heart failure will go on a 'soups and shakes' diet for two to three months to see the difference.

The before and after will be measured through heart scans and blood tests to check for improvements.

JeFF is also working to bring cardiac MRI scans to the island; currently, islanders have to travel to Oxford for specialised scans.

Those who are part of the 'SLENDER' trial will be the first to get cardiac MRI scans as part of the study.

Dr Aaron Henry, Cardiology Clinical Fellow and JeFF Project Lead says:

"Through a collaborative approach with colleagues across healthcare and patient support groups such as the Jersey Heart Support Group, we can make a real difference to heart failure patients both here in Jersey and beyond."

The project is also improving how quickly someone will be contacted for heart scans and begin treatment.

JeFF will be doing this by using information from patient blood tests.

A new High Alert Pathway uses a blood test marker called BNP to find high-risk patients.

Originally, people would have to wait for their GP to review their blood results and refer them to the team for review within two weeks.

This new pathway means the team will contact the highest-risk patients within 48 hours for a scan and treatment.

In terms of catching the condition early, JeFF aims to catch and treat patients before heart failure becomes severe.

Around four in five heart failure diagnoses are made in visits to the emergency room.

Through working with GPs, lymphedema services, diabetes teams and utilising patient data, patients can be found earlier.

This approach to health is designed to lengthen life and improve the quality of it for those living with heart failure.

Dr Nigel Minihane, local GP, says early detection, in the main, means avoidance of severe illness and prompt treatment, if needed.

"I’m sure general practice and the wider community health services will be happy to support this initiative.

"Some good news and a first for Jersey!"