Guernsey Chest and Heart LBG is a charitable body, primarily concerned with the provision of a free health screening service to the residents of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The objectives of the charity are "the prevention and treatment of and research into respiratory and circulatory diseases".
The Chest and Heart Centre staff carry out hundreds of free blood pressure and weight checks for Islanders each year. Since the opening of our medical centre in November 1974, preventative work has been the main area of activity, primarily through our health screening programme for which all services to the public are provided free of charge.
Carrying out our programme of work has a considerable cost, with the health screening and blood pressure check programmes accounting for most of our costs. The Chest and Heart's annual running costs exceed £100,000. We rely exclusively on voluntary support from the public, private individuals, corporate bodies and various groups and organisations.
In order to maintain and hopefully increase our service to the Bailiwick community, we need continuing and increasing financial support. As salary and other costs rise each year, we need corresponding increases in our funding.
We recognise that there are many calls on the generosity of the community from the numerous charitable organisations operating on the island. We do feel that our work is vital in the battle against respiratory and circulatory diseases. Coronary heart disease is still a major killer in Guernsey.