A new report has found that long delays in NHS (National Health Service) heart care could lead to thousands of deaths, according to The Guardian.
Ministers have warned that more and more people with heart problems could die over the next few years because of the long delays or waiting times in NHS care.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) expressed concerns over NHS delays when it comes to treating strokes and heart attacks because those delays could potentially lead to death while the patients wait.
In the initial phase of the COVID pandemic, there were 5,800 “excess” deaths from heart and circulatory conditions after most of the NHS services were suspended as the staff shifted their focus on COVID patients.
Today, the BHF said that long delays to receive heart care could see a rise in the death toll.
It said, “Without immediate intervention, there is a risk that thousands of more people could die from heart and circulatory diseases, despite the NHS going above and beyond during the pandemic.”
The BHF report, called The Untold Heartbreak, documents the impact on the health of patients with heart conditions’ procedures being canceled and appointments getting scrapped, according to The Guardian.
The foundation has warned that these long waits faced by thousands of patients in England awaiting hospital care could worsen their heart conditions, making them inoperable or even leading to death.
“There is a need to ensure processes are able to correctly identify those at risk of deteriorating with progressively worse heart disease whilst waiting [for treatment],” the report said. “These patients could miss the window of opportunity where treatment can avoid disability and harm or even die while waiting.”
The BHF’s concerns include people waiting to get a stent, pacemaker, or mini-defibrillator placed or needing heart bypass, valve surgery, or a transplant.
Prof. Simon Ray, President of the British Cardiovascular Society, said if immediate action is taken to tackle the backlog of heart care, “we can avoid preventable deaths and improve the quality of life of the millions of people living with cardiovascular disease in the UK.”
A spokesperson of the Department of Health and Social Care said, “The NHS has faced huge challenges over the past year due to Covid-19 and we continue to support our incredible health and care staff who have kept services open for thousands of patients.”
“This includes dedicated investment of £1bn this year to tackle the backlog and reduce waiting lists,” they added. “The NHS is also trialing innovative ways to accelerate elective recovery and enable more hospitals to go further, faster.” The article was published in The Guardian.
