Hearts Need More

Putting an end to the UK’s heart care crisis

Despite decades of progress in improving outcomes for people living with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the 2020s saw the worst start to a decade for heart health in over 50 years.

In 2024, an average of 725 people in England died each week before the age of 75 from CVD, the same year the cardiac waiting list in England hit a peak of 428,067 - 84% higher than pre-pandemic levels. It was clear that our hearts needed and deserved more.

We have seen some promising progress

We have long called for a dedicated heart disease action plan, so we are delighted that the Government has published a Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Modern Service Framework (MSF). This outlines plans to help cut premature heart disease and stroke deaths by 25% over the next decade. We also welcome the new Tobacco & Vapes Act and the Healthy Food Standard, which if implemented in full, should help reduce people’s risk of developing CVD in the first place.

We need to put heart research in the spotlight

We now want to see this Government focus on heart care combined with a focus on supercharging the research that can see patients receiving the future treatments and support they need. Every 3 minutes someone loses a loved one to CVD. The UK Government must put heart research in the spotlight to tackle this problem.

From the lightbulb moment to the lifesaving treatment, we need researchers to be supported in their search for breakthroughs, and the UK to become a leader in heart research.

Heart care waitlists remain consistently high, the health service is under immense pressure, and people are waiting too long for treatments and support. Our Hearts Need More.