BHF comment
Heart care waiting list rises again, bucking overall trend
The heart care waiting list rose again in England, bucking the trend of overall waiting lists declining.
Latest NHS England figures published today show that cardiac waiting lists rose to 408,061 at the end of January 2024 in England – an increase of 2,101 on the previous month.
The heart care waiting list is 75% larger than in February 2020. This is an increase of 174,980 people – almost enough to fill Wembley stadium nearly twice over.
There was a decrease in the number of people waiting over four months for potentially lifesaving heart care at the end of January 2024. However, well over a third (40%) of all people on waiting lists for cardiac care are waiting over 18 weeks for care.
The number of people waiting over a year for time-critical heart tests and treatments fell to 10,304 from 10,726 in December. Just 28 people were waiting this long in February 2020.
The latest ambulance response time figure is 36 minutes, an improvement on January but remains over the official target for responding to category 2 calls - which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes. NHS England and Government have set a new average target of 30 minutes for 2023/24. This target has been met in just one month since April 2023.
Heart care crisis
The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: “The heart care waiting list continues to rise despite overall waiting lists falling, an unacceptable trend that shows how so many heart patients are enduring long waits for treatment. But heart care can’t wait - significant delays to cardiac care can lead to avoidable heart attacks, disabling heart failure and even premature death.
“Tragically, as we reported in January, the extreme and ongoing pressures on NHS heart care is likely one of several factors contributing to nearly 39,000 premature deaths involving cardiovascular disease in England in 2022. We need to see bold action to prioritise NHS heart care and ease the agonising waits patients are facing.”