Heart care waiting list rises, bucking trend

The heart care waiting list rose in December 2024, despite a fall in the overall list for treatment and care, latest figures show.

Today’s figures show that there are now 423,245 people waiting for ‘routine’ cardiac care, up from 420,589 in November.

Since the start of 2024, the  heart care waiting list has risen by 4 per cent (17,285). The list has more than doubled since December 2020, when it stood at 197,938.

Today’s figures also show:

• There was a slight fall in the number of people waiting this long, from 169,620 in November 2024 to 168,924 in December 2024. However, the proportion of people on the list who have been waiting over 18 weeks for time-sensitive cardiac care remains at 40%.
• The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely.   
• There was also a fall in the number of people waiting over a year for cardiac care, to 9,009 in December, down from 9,885 in November. In February 2020, there were just 28 people waiting this long.
• Average ambulance response times for heart attacks and strokes were 36 minutes in January 2025, down from 47 minutes in December, latest NHS England data reveals.
• This still breaches the current NHS England average response target for category 2 calls of 30 minutes for 2024/25. 
• Before the pandemic, the response target for category 2 calls – which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes - was an average of 18 minutes. However, the target was relaxed due to growing pressure on the NHS, not a change in clinical urgency.

Frustrating rise

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Clinical Director, said: “It’s frustrating to see yet another rise in the heart care waiting list, even though some progress has been made to reduce waits for other NHS treatment and care.

“Heart treatment is clearly time-critical and not a luxury people can live without. Long waits are dangerous – four in 10 people on the heart care list are waiting more than 18 weeks. This inevitably puts people at risk of avoidable heart attacks, heart failure and even premature death. 

“We’re in the grip of a heart care crisis and it’s putting lives on the line. Heart patients need to see a National Cardiovascular Disease Plan  to make emergency treatment and planned heart care fit for the future, and stop more people from getting heart disease in the first place.”

WHY OUR HEARTS NEED MORE