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The UK’s heart care crisis: Hearts Need More

The UK has made huge progress tackling heart and circulatory disease. But we are now in a heart care crisis. We’re calling on the UK Government to make sure progress is not lost. 

The UK's heart care crisis

Our analysis shows that in 2024 over 39,000 people in England died before the age of 75 from a heart or circulatory condition. This number remains almost unchanged from 2022.

An average of 750 people died each week. This was the highest number seen since 2010. 

More analysis is needed to understand why. But we believe a number of factors have contributed to the fact we are not making progress in tackling cardiovascular disease: 

  • longstanding high rates of obesity and hypertension
  • the impact of the pandemic — including both the impact of Covid on the heart, and the disruption it caused to healthcare services
  • historic underfunding of research into heart and circulatory disease.

Why Government must act now

The heart care waiting list in England has risen by 81% since 2020. It has remained consistently high since. In England, it reached 421,683 at the end of February 2025.

We also know that waiting lists for cardiology appointments in Scotland were the highest on record in 2024.  

In Wales, waiting lists were the highest ever recorded in February 2025. 

People who need heart care need help now. Delays to tests, procedures and operations put them in danger of avoidable and permanent disability. These delays can even cost them their lives. 

Our CEO on why Hearts Need More

Our CEO Charmaine Griffiths, ambassadors David and Frankie Seaman, BHF professors and researchers, and heart care patients tell us why Hearts Need More. They urge the UK Government to prioritise cardiovascular disease. 

Charmaine Griffiths, CEO of BHF

How Government can take action

If we want to stop this crisis in its tracks, we need the Government to take action in 3 ways. 

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    Protection 

    Better prevent heart disease and stroke by addressing drivers like obesity and smoking.

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    Focus 

    Prioritise NHS heart care to minimise the time it takes to get help.

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    Breakthroughs 

    Supercharge research to unlock future treatments and cures.

How we’ve been influencing change

Parliament

Our statement on cardiovascular disease

We’ve worked with over 40 organisations to call on the Government to commit to a National Cardiovascular Disease Plan.  

Our statement on cardiovascular disease
BHF staff members including the CEO Charmaine Griffiths standing outside No 10 Downing Street and holding the Hearts Need More pledge with 46000 signatures

Handing in our pledge to Government

In December 2024 we handed in our pledge signed by over 46,000 people. It called on Government to prioritise heart disease.

Handing in our pledge

Read our report on the heart care crisis

Our report outlines the bold steps Government must take to improve outcomes for those living with or at risk of heart and circulatory disease.  

Our report on the heart care crisis
To find out more, or to support British Heart Foundation’s work, please visit www.bhf.org.uk. You can speak to one of our cardiac nurses by calling our helpline on 0808 802 1234 (freephone), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For general customer service enquiries, please call 0300 330 3322, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

British Heart Foundation is a registered Charity No. 225971. Registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 699547. Registered office at Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW. Registered as a Charity in Scotland No. SC039426