Record 338,000 people waiting for time-sensitive heart care

Latest NHS England figures reveal that the number of people on cardiac waiting lists grew to a record 337,706 at the end of July in England.

This is 3,791 more than the previous month, and the 25th consecutive month where an increase has been seen.

The latest figures reveal that the heart care waiting list has increased by 45 per cent compared to February 2020, the month before the pandemic began.

The statistics also show:

• 6,825 people had been waiting over a year as of July – a record high, and 244 times higher than before the pandemic began when just 28 people were waiting this long. 

• 113,204 people have been waiting over four months (the maximum waiting time target) for potentially lifesaving heart care – one third (34%) of all people on waiting lists for cardiac care. The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely.

• The NHSE figures also reveal average ambulance response time for category 2 calls (which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes) fell in August to 43 minutes but remain over double the target of 18 minutes.

• The region with the highest average ambulance response time for category 2 calls is the East of England, where the average time is 61 minutes.

What we say

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Associate Medical Director, said: “Timely heart treatment saves lives. Yet too many people continue to face agonisingly long waits for potentially lifesaving heart care, even for heart attacks where every minute counts.

"This matters because tragically, so many more people are dying from cardiovascular disease than can be expected.

“Urgent intervention from the new Prime Minister is needed now to prioritise cardiovascular disease, and prevent more lives needlessly lost to what remains one of the nation’s biggest killers.

"As a first step, committing to a funded NHS workforce plan  now will help lessen future pressure on the health service and prevent extra lives lost.”