Number of patients in Cornwall on heart care waiting list could almost double in two years
It is predicted that over 4,000 people in the Duchy will be waiting for life-saving diagnosis or treatment by 2022
Over 55,000 people in the South West could be waiting for life saving heart diagnosis and treatment two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
That is according to new modelling by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
The charity’s forecast shows that the number of people anxiously waiting for heart care and diagnosis in the region in March 2022 could be more than double the size of the waiting list before the pandemic began in the UK.
In February 2020, around 25,266 people were on cardiology waiting lists in the South West of England. The BHF predicts that, by March 2022, this could reach a staggering 55,979 due to the pandemic.
In Cornwall there were 2,253 people on the cardiology waiting list in February 2020. By March 2022 that number is expected to be 4,144. That is an increase of 84% in the space of just two years.
The forecast is of a worst case but possible scenario where the NHS in England doesn’t get enough investment and is under increased pressure from Covid-19 or a bad winter.
It comes as a new report by the charity – titled The Untold Heartbreak – reveals that without decisive action now, the BHF estimates it will take between three and five years for the heart care backlog in England to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
Even before the pandemic began, around 225,000 people in England were on cardiology waiting lists for heart diagnosis or treatment, while around 8,400 people were waiting for heart surgery.
Long waits for diagnosis and treatment of conditions like coronary heart disease, abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure are emotionally distressing and increase the risk of someone becoming more unwell or even dying while they wait for vital care. There were 5,800 “excess” deaths from heart and circulatory conditions in the first year of the pandemic in England, and the significant delays to care have likely contributed to this figure.
Even in a better case scenario, where already-pledged Government funding supports NHS England to address the heart care backlog more quickly, the BHF estimates it would still take at least three years for heart care waiting lists to return to pre-pandemic levels.
However, the Government could reduce the heart care backlog by years if further significant action is taken now, the charity says. This must include a clear plan for cardiovascular services and rapid investment to build more capacity into NHS England and relieve pressure on exhausted health workers, as well as better support for heart patients while they wait for vital treatment.
The charity warns that without this immediate intervention, there is a risk that thousands more people could die from heart and circulatory diseases, despite the NHS going above and beyond during the pandemic.
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Even before the pandemic began, waiting lists for vital heart care were far too long. As this report shows, the pandemic has since pushed the NHS towards breaking point, with devastating consequences for the 660,000 people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the West Midlands.
“Delay in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases is not just about improving symptoms, however important that is – it is about saving lives. Tragically, we have already seen thousands of extra deaths from heart and circulatory diseases during the pandemic, and delays to care have likely contributed to this terrible toll.
“At this critical moment, the Government must act now to avoid more lives lost to treatable heart conditions. Addressing the growing heart care backlog is only the start. We must also see a clear plan, alongside significant and ongoing investment, to build capacity back into the NHS and address the pandemic’s impact on health workers. Getting this right would avoid preventable heartbreak for many families".
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Every number on a waiting list is a loved one facing a potentially agonising wait for care that could save or improve their life.
“Vital heart tests and surgery can’t be put off - long delays lead to debilitating anxiety and put people’s lives at risk. The voices of people with heart and circulatory diseases must be heard as the Government considers the action needed to tackle the mounting backlog in cardiovascular care".
The Untold Heartbreak details how long waits for cardiovascular care are only the “tip of the iceberg”.
Missed opportunities to prevent, diagnose and treat heart and circulatory diseases, an unprecedented backlog of people waiting for care, and a cliff-edge fall in research funding could amount to a loss of progress for a generation and lives cut short from treatable heart conditions.
Professor Simon Ray, Immediate Past President of the British Cardiovascular Society, said: “Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, people with heart and circulatory diseases have experienced severe disruption to their care because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While this report shows the scale of the challenge ahead, there is hope. Green shoots of recovery have appeared, and the NHS has shown incredible will to address the problems it faces. By acting now, we can stop modelling estimates from becoming a long-term reality and avoid more deaths from treatable heart and circulatory diseases.
“If the Government urgently intervenes to address the backlog, build back healthcare services stronger, grow our NHS workforce, and restore research funding, we can save and improve lives for millions of people with heart and circulatory conditions, both now and long into the future".