Waiting list for heart care in East Midlands could be double in size two years after pandemic
That's according to new research by the British Heart Foundation
Last updated 13th Aug 2021
Over 30,000 people in the East Midlands could be waiting for life saving heart diagnosis and treatment two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, 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 double the size of the waiting list before the pandemic began in the UK.
In February 2020, around 16,600 people were on cardiology waiting lists in the East Midlands. The BHF predicts that, by March 2022, this could reach a staggering 33,100 due to the pandemic.
The forecast is of a worse 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 560,000 people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the East 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.”