We work with government
We work with parliamentarians and members of Government to shape and influence policy that relates to heart and circulatory diseases and research.
Our priorities in Parliament
To transform the lives of millions of people living with or at risk of heart and circulatory diseases, our key priorities for the current Government are to:
- maintain the UK’s position as a research superpower to accelerate advances across the spectrum of heart and circulatory diseases
- create an environment that supports health and enables people to make healthier choices, reducing people's chance of developing heart and circulatory diseases
- transform the detection and treatment of, and the support for people living with, heart and circulatory diseases.
How we work in Parliament
To help achieve these priorities, we engage with parliamentarians in a number of ways.
We organise events to bring together MPs and Peers, civil servants and other decision makers about the issues that matter to people living with heart and circulatory diseases. This includes parliamentary receptions, drop-in sessions and expert roundtable briefings. We also attend and exhibit at the annual political party conferences.
Additionally, we provide evidence to relevant Select Committee inquiries and Government consultations. We also contribute to reports or meetings by cross-party groups like the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG). Historically, BHF has provided secretariat support to the APPG on heart and circulatory diseases.
The APPG’s latest reports:
How we support parliamentarians
We often meet with MPs and Peers across all parties to discuss our policy priorities and how we can work together to influence change.
We can support parliamentary business by:
- helping to draft written and oral questions or amendments to Bills
- providing debate briefings or supporting with applications for backbench debates.
We can support in the constituency by:
- providing constituency statistics across a range of data sets, for example, prevalence of heart and circulatory diseases or the level of air pollution
- arranging a visit to the nearest BHF shop or research centre.
How we campaign
The work we do wouldn't be possible without the help of the public.
Our supporters have previously written to their MPs, responded to consultations and shared their support on Twitter.
Heart and circulatory diseases will touch us all, so we all need to work together to tackle them. We need communities to mobilise, and we need politicians to take bold action to help us achieve our vision of a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases.
Our latest campaign
Over the past six decades, the UK has made huge strides in improving outcomes for people living with heart and circulatory diseases. But now that progress is at risk.
We’re in the grip of a heart care crisis. Our hearts need and deserve more.
If we want to stop this crisis in its tracks, we need the UK Government to take bold, co-ordinated action on three fronts:
- Protection: better prevent heart disease and stroke by addressing drivers like obesity and smoking.
- Focus: prioritise NHS heart care to minimise the time it takes to get help.
- Breakthroughs: supercharge research to unlock future treatments and cures.
We’ve seen some progress, but it’s not enough. Ahead of this year’s UK general election, join us in calling on the next Government to prioritise heart disease.
Have a query?
For further information or queries, get in touch with the Public Affairs Team.