Heart care waiting list rises by over 60,000 people in just one year

Latest NHS England figures published today show that the number of people on cardiac waiting lists has risen to a record high of 406,643 at the end of August 2023 – an increase of 3,850 on the previous month. 

There has been a 17 per cent rise in people waiting for cardiac care since the end of August 2022 in England. This is an increase of 60,426 people – the capacity of London’s Olympic Stadium.

The statistics also revealed:

• Since February 2020, when 233,081 people in England were waiting for cardiac care, the waiting list has risen by 74%.

• There was a further rise in the number of people who were waiting over four months (the maximum intended waiting time target) for potentially lifesaving heart care at the end of August – 159,996 compared with 154,329 at the end of July. Well over a third (39%) of all people on waiting lists for cardiac care are waiting over 18 weeks for care. The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely. 

• The number of people waiting over a year for time-critical heart tests and treatments rose to 13,479 – another record high. Just 28 people were waiting this long in February 2020.   

• New NHS figures show that average ambulance response time for category 2 calls (which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes) in England have risen to over 37 minutes in September, up from 32 minutes in August. The official target is 18 minutes, but the Government has set a new average target of 30 minutes over 2023/24.  

Our comment

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), and a Consultant Cardiologist, said: “It never fails to shock me that with each month and each year, we continue to see record-breaking numbers of people waiting far too long for heart care.

"Long waits for time-sensitive heart care are dangerous - they increase the risk of life-changing disability due to heart failure, and can even cost lives.

"To address this cardiovascular crisis, we need bold action from Government to prioritise heart care. This includes building on plans to recruit and retain more specialist staff and ensuring they are working in fit-for-purpose facilities , which will require a commitment to long-term investment. 

“We cannot let such long waits for vital heart care become the new status quo – behind these statistics are patients and families.”