Investment and clear plan needed to tackle backlog of heart care

Ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review, we are calling for the Government to commit to significant investment in the NHS, research, and public health.

The three-year Comprehensive Spending Review on October 27 is a critical opportunity for the Government to truly ‘level up’ the UK by investing in the prevention and treatment of heart and circulatory diseases, which affect more than 7.6 million people across the four nations.

Address the backlog of heart care

We want to see increased support and investment in our overstretched NHS to address the backlog of vital heart care caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government’s pledge to invest £10bn to tackle the backlog of vital care, such as life-saving surgery and procedures is welcome, but it will not be enough.

The Health Foundation has suggested that the NHS will need closer to £17bn to reduce long waiting lists for elective care, which includes crucial diagnosis and treatment of heart and circulatory conditions.

Any action to address the backlog of routine care must include a specific plan for cardiovascular disease services. This strategy must be long-term and sustainable, prioritising the recruitment, training and retention of skilled NHS workers.

Boost charity research funding

Medical research charities make up the backbone of the UK’s world leading research ecosystem, contributing to major scientific advances and improvement in patient care. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on charities like us.

By bolstering the Charity Research Support Fund, the Government would renew its commitment to charity funding and maintain the broad reach of its impact across science.

We also urge the Government to publish a long-term plan, complete with annual Government budgetary commitments, on how it will drive increase investment in R&D to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027.

This must include a timetable for how the £22 billion increase will be delivered by the target date.

Invest in public health

Preventing ill health is vital for levelling up our economy and reducing the burden of disease on the NHS as we begin to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. We are calling for an additional £1bn a year to be invested in public health as a minimum, which would restore the funding of the Public Health Grant to 2015 levels. At the same time, the Grant must be maintained as a ring-fenced fund for vital public health services delivered by local authorities, such as stop smoking and weight management services.

Spend now to save tomorrow

Our chief executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, said: “Heart disease did not stop during the pandemic, and it continues to be one of the UK’s biggest killers. From lab bench through to hospital bedside, we need action on three vital areas now to save and improve lives.

“We must have increased Government funding into research to truly secure the UK’s place as a science superpower and find new treatments and cures for the future.

“For today’s patients, we urgently need a specific plan for addressing the vast and growing backlog of vital heart care caused by the pandemic, alongside substantial and long-term investment in the NHS.

“At the same time, an increase in public health spending would improve the nation’s health and help reduce pressure on the NHS.

“Spending now will save lives tomorrow - the Comprehensive Spending Review is the Government’s chance to get this right, and avoid more preventable deaths from treatable heart conditions for years to come.”