Studies have demonstrated reluctance by patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) symptoms to seek prompt medical help.Mortality is halved when thrombolysis is administered within 1-2 hours of symptom onset.One means by which the mortality and morbidity rates can be further reduced is through the prompt recognition and acquisition of the necessary treatment, by the sufferer, when symptoms of a coronary event arise.Delay in response to symptoms is made up of three components: patient recognition and action; transport to hospital, and in hospital delay.The longest phase of delay in many cases is the time from symptom recognition to the decision to seek assistance.Major factors influencing patient delay in seeking treatment include: illness perceptions; failure to attribute symptoms to the heart or to appreciate the importance of symptoms and severity of symptoms, type of symptoms, the location and people present the when the symptoms occurred.Certain identified groups consistently delay longer in seeking treatment in the face of suspected ACS, older people, women, ethnic minorities, those with lower education levels, and those with diabetes.This talk will explore the current literature in this area with particular emphasis on interventions and practices that have been examined and used in an effort to address this problem.