Our Chief Executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, explains why this week’s Westminster debate on heart disease matters for millions of people across the UK — and why the Government must now turn its ambition into action.
Yesterday in Westminster, MPs debated one of the most urgent health challenges facing the UK: how to stop more people dying too young from heart disease and stroke.
This was an important moment to remind the Government of the huge toll heart disease and stroke take on families across the UK. And we are grateful to Paul Foster MP for securing the debate, and for representing the eight million people across the UK who, like him, live with cardiovascular disease.
Paul's story
Paul discovered he had a congenital heart condition after a routine check last year, and while he is currently symptom-free, he knows he will need open heart surgery in the future.
He asked the Government for an urgent update on action to reduce the number of people dying prematurely (before they reach 75) from heart attack and stroke, and when a promised new framework for the NHS in England will be published setting out the standards cardiac services should meet for all heart patients.
Health Minister Sharon Hodgson MP responded saying the Government’s cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework – which she said is coming ’soon’ – would include 12 high impact priority action areas.
She said it would also include a roadmap for implementation, and accountability and oversight measures that together would ‘provide the tools required’ to achieve the Government’s ambition of reducing premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% by 2035.
A timely reminder
The debate was a timely reminder that heart patients must not be forgotten and need action immediately.
Cardiovascular disease is responsible for more than a quarter of all deaths each year. That means every three minutes a family loses a loved one to cardiovascular disease. And progress reducing the number of people dying prematurely has stalled.
Millions of people live with, or are at risk of, cardiovascular disease. Many people face long waits for care, or live with unmanaged conditions. And the burden of disease is unfairly higher in areas of deprivation.
Hearts Need More
Following our Hearts Need More campaign, which included a pledge signed by nearly 50,000 people calling on the Government to make cardiovascular disease a priority, the Government announced last summer that it would create a dedicated cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework.
This should set out the standards health services should meet, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and rehabilitation, and we’ve been supporting its development.
But the Government must follow through on their pledge to publish ‘soon’. And soon must be days or weeks, not months. For people living with cardiovascular disease the need is already urgent.
Time for action
The Government has the power to help build a health service that prevents more heart disease and stroke, diagnoses people earlier and treats them faster.
And as a research funder, we know that lasting progress depends on discovery too — the breakthroughs that can transform what is possible for heart patients today, and for generations to come.
Now is the time for the Government to turn its ambition into action by publishing its plan, focusing more on prevention and continuing to support research. Heart patients have waited long enough.
Why our Hearts Need More
