Waiting lists for vital heart care at new record levels in England

Hospital waiting lists for vital heart care have risen again to record levels, according to latest NHS England figures published today.

The latest statistics reveal that 275,569 people were waiting for heart tests and treatment, including invasive heart procedures and heart surgery, at the end of September in England – the 15th consecutive month that numbers have risen.

Even before the pandemic, 233,081 people were on cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery waiting lists in England – and this figure had been increasing year-on-year.

Of those waiting at the end of September, 69,995 had been waiting over 18 weeks – more than double the number compared to before the pandemic began.

The number of people waiting over a year in England is 3,575 – this is 128 times higher than before the pandemic began when just 28 people had been waiting this long. 

Tip of the iceberg

For the first time to our knowledge, over 100 people are waiting over 100 weeks for heart care in England at the end of September. 

The BHF fears this is just the tip of the iceberg, with an even larger “hidden” backlog of heart care.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Associate Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist, said: “While we saw growing waiting lists for heart care even before the pandemic, the pressure on the NHS has only grown and the scale of this current cardiovascular crisis is unsustainable.

“There is still disruption at every stage of someone’s heart care - from vital heart scans through to potentially life saving treatment, even heart surgery. Each delay adds to an ongoing snowball effect which ultimately puts lives at risk.

“Heart patients need to hear how the vast growing and increasingly urgent backlog of cardiovascular care will be addressed.

"We need to see a specific plan for heart care recovery focused on tackling cardiology vacancies, training more heart specialists, and using new diagnostic hubs to deliver delayed heart diagnosis and care. Getting this right could prevent a higher toll of death and disability from treatable heart conditions.”

READ ABOUT THE UNTOLD HEARTBREAK