Aims: The efficacy of a supervised exercise-training programme, for patients with chronic heart failure, was assessed by comparing programme results with recommendations from current national ser vice frameworks and key systematic reviews.Methods: Retrospective data, on 22 Caucasian patients (18 male) aged 47 to 81 years were collected before and following a 12-week course of supervised exercise training, including: step test performance, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).Results: For the same heart rate (~60% heart rate reserve), mean (SD) step test levels increased from 4.5 (0.2) to 5.1 (0.3) metabolic equivalents (P=0.0001) and NYHA scores improved from 2.1 (0.4) to 1.8 (0.5) (P=0.004). Mean BNP levels were 1563 (664) nanograms/ litre before the exercise programe and 1351 (536) nanograms/litre, after it (P=00.075).Conclusions: This audit clearly reflects the recommendations of national guidelines and systematic reviews, that exercise is not detrimental to the health and wellbeing of CHF patients and enhances physical functioning. The trend of improved BNP levels appears favourable and demonstrated to be of clinical significance in spite of not reaching statistical significance. This area requires further study on a greater number and wider variety of patients, where it is hypothesized that exercise will be both clinically and statistically significant.