BHF comment
Heart care waiting list grows by nearly 100,000 in two years in England
The heart care waiting list has grown by nearly 100,000 people since April 2022 when the waiting list was at 319,454 – a rise of 32 per cent.
Today’s figures also show:
• For the first time since February 2019, there was a decrease in the number of people waiting over four months for potentially lifesaving heart care at the end of April 2024. The total was 166,256, down from 168,403 at the end of March.
• However, 40 per cent of people waiting for heart care were waiting over 18 weeks for care at the end of April, a rise of 69,920 since April 2022 - despite heart care being time-critical.
• The number of people waiting over a year for time-critical heart tests and treatments has fallen to 10,528 from 10,893 in March. Just 28 people were waiting this long in February 2020.
• The average ambulance response time for category 2 calls in May 2024 was almost 33 minutes. This is an increase on April and does not meet the amended NHS average response target for category 2 calls of 30 minutes for 2024/25.
• Before the pandemic, the response target for these calls - which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes - was 18 minutes on average but was increased due to pressure and long delays in ambulance services.
• The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely.
Long waits are endemic
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Associate Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist, said: “Long waits for heart care are now an endemic problem. No headway has been made in reducing the colossal number of people waiting for such time-sensitive heart care, and it is putting countless lives at risk.
“Getting heart treatment in time prevents life-long disability and death, so it is devastating to see yet another rise in the number of people waiting, and to still see far too many people waiting a dangerously long time for such vital care.
"Getting to grips with this cardiovascular disease crisis and getting back to gold standard cardiac care must be a priority for the next Government to prevent more avoidable heartbreak and loss of life.”
We have launched our Hearts Need More campaign calling on politicians of all parties to prioritise cardiovascular disease care in the run-up to the General Election, and when a new Government is formed.
Last month, we released new analysis which showed that the rate at which people are dying before the age of 75 from heart and circulatory diseases is rising more than twice as quickly in the poorest parts of England.
The BHF is urging the public to sign its pledge calling on all politicians to make heart care a priority.