03/02/2010

Protestors demand defence against the UK’s biggest killer

We call for the next Government to commit to protect heart health.

Heart patients, carers, and medics descended on the Houses of Parliament demanding a renewed commitment from all political parties to tackle heart and circulatory disease – the UK’s biggest killer – during the next decade.

Almost one hundred British Heart Foundation supporters lobbied local MPs with calls for a planned and published approach to protect the heart health of the nation. They were backed by a 150,000 signature petition from people calling for a new heart plan.

We want to see a prescription for heart health in the UK:

• A clear target to reduce heart and circulatory disease in England to one of the lowest in Western Europe by 2020.
• A single front of pack food labelling scheme to enable shoppers to make healthy food choices easily.
• Cardiac rehabilitation for every patient who is suitable and wishes to take part in this life saving treatment.
• Combat and tackle health inequalities by introducing health equality impact assessments for all new policies and services.

While the number of people dying from cardiovascular disease has fallen, the UK still lags behind other western countries. Peter Hollins, Chief Executive at the BHF said:

"There has been tremendous progress over the last ten years – but heart disease is responsible for a third of all deaths in the UK. We need to go further and faster to beat this.

"Patients still don’t receive life saving treatments like cardiac rehabilitation – if this were a pill it would have been on the NHS years ago. Heart and circulatory disease remains disproportionately high amongst people living in disadvantaged communities. We need a Government that is willing to tackle the UK’s biggest killer head on with a new heart plan to ensure patients are given the heart health care they deserve."

The BHF is a member of the Cardio & Vascular Coalition, a group of 41 voluntary organisations including Diabetes UK, the Stroke Association and Kidney Research UK who are calling on the next Government to address gaps in treatment provision and deal with inequalities in order to reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Andrew Stancliffe, 43 from Huddersfield suffered a heart attack in October 2008. Andrew said:

"I experienced fantastic treatment in York. I then moved to Huddersfield and the services were completely different.

"I feel like my life is on hold and I don’t know how I can move on and lead a normal life. I think the situation should be the same wherever you live, I’m not a number or a statistic, I’m a real person. I think I deserve the best care possible to help me get back on my feet again."

Take part in our online lobby today.

For more information please call the BHF press office on 020 7554 0164 or 07764 290 381 (out of office hours) or email newsdesk@bhf.org.uk.

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