Heart care waiting list passes 400,000 for the first time

Latest NHS England figures published today show that the number of people on cardiac waiting lists has risen to a record high of 402,793 at the end of July 2023 in England – an increase of 6,050 on the previous month. 

The latest increase means the number of people on the waiting list has risen by 73% since February 2020, the month before the pandemic began, when 233,081 people in England were waiting for cardiac care.

The latest figures also revealed that:

• 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 July – 154,329 compared with 147,241 at the end of June.
• Well over a third (38%) 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 13,086 – 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 remained at 32 minutes in August, the same as July. The official target is 18 minutes, but the Government has set a new average target of 30 minutes over 2023/24.