Waiting lists for vital heart care rise to record level again in England

Hospital waiting lists for potentially life saving vital heart care continue to rise each month, according to latest NHS England figures published today.
A woman in a medical waiting room

The latest statistics reveal that 252,354 people were waiting for heart tests and treatment, including invasive heart procedures and heart surgery, at the end of June in England – the highest number on record.

Of those waiting, 53,140 had been waiting over 18 weeks – this is more than one in five (21 per cent) of everyone waiting for a heart surgery or other invasive procedure at the end of June 2021.

The number of people waiting over a year decreased in June to 3,806 from a peak of 5,248 in March – however, the figure is still 136 times higher than before the pandemic began when just 28 people had been waiting this long.

There are now 39 people in England who have been waiting over two years for a heart procedure or surgery.

'Deeply concerning'

The figures come days after we published a new report, The Untold Heartbreak, about the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the care of heart patients.

The report contains estimates that it could take up to five years for the heart care backlog to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Cardiology and heart surgery waiting lists could double in the next few years due to the pandemic.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Associate Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist, said: “Despite the NHS and its staff pulling out all the stops, we are still seeing ever-increasing cardiac waiting lists – even for heart surgery, which is not a luxury that people can live without.

“Delaying cardiovascular care can lead to disabling heart failure or even cost lives. Tragically, we saw thousands of extra heart disease and stroke deaths in England in the first year of the pandemic, and the significant delays to care have likely contributed.

“There are some encouraging signs that waiting times are improving, but the long-term picture is obviously deeply concerning. We need substantial long-term investment in our overstretched NHS, along with a clear plan, to prevent more lives from being lost to treatable heart conditions.”

READ OUR NEW REPORT