A new heart disease plan for Scotland
We want to beat heartbreak caused by heart diseases in Scotland. To do this, we need to improve the detection, diagnosis, treatment and care of people who live with these conditions.
Virtual hustings event
On 2 February, BHF Scotland held a virtual hustings event ahead of the Holyrood elections in May 2021. We were joined by representatives from all political parities to debate our draft plan and the future of heart disease care in Scotland. Those involved where:
- Brian Whittle MSP (Scottish Conservative)
- Carolynn Scrimgeour (Scottish Green Candidate)
- Monica Lennon MSP (Scottish Labour)
- Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP (Scottish Liberal Democrats)
- Cllr Elena Whitham (Scottish National Party)
Help us beat heart disease in Scotland
Heart disease remains Scotland’s single biggest killer and constitutes the country’s single biggest health burden. Current actions on heart disease are set out in the Heart Disease Improvement Plan (2014) which was a refresh of the Better Heart Disease and Stroke Care Action Plan (2009).
There has been progress in a number of the key priority areas but policies and services have changed significantly during its implementation and now there is an opportunity to ensure that our healthcare system is delivering for people with heart disease today and ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
We estimate that around 230,000 people in Scotland have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, over 700,000 with hypertension and around 48,000 live with heart failure. Many of these conditions, and other forms of heart diseases are also increasing, partly as a result of an ageing population and improved treatment and care from acute coronary events.
Download our BHF Scotland Full Manifesto Report
Download our BHF Scotland Manifesto Briefing
Our engagement processes
Between 2018 and 2020, BHF Scotland undertook significant evidence gathering and wider clinical and patient engagement in order to gain a deeper understanding of how to overcome the issues faced in heart disease care in Scotland.
Our clinical engagement included talking to healthcare professionals from across all sectors and workplaces in Scotland, discussing topics such as high-risk conditions, ensuring equitable access to services and treatment and effective use of data.
We also spoke directly to patients and carers through in-person roundtables and a virtual focus group session to hear about their personal experiences and what they thought the Scottish Government could do to support them lead healthy and happy lives.
How your responses help
The development of these documents was based on a smaller consultation with around 60 clinicians and a patient engagement day. This helped us to understand some of the key issues and themes. Now we want to make sure that we have identified the correct priorities and actions.
The responses to the consultation will be analysed and used to shape a final document that will be presented to Scottish Government as our recommendation for a national plan to tackle heart disease in Scotland.