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News ArticleWomen, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those living in the most deprived areas of England are less likely to receive treatment after a diagnosis of a deadly heart disease, according to one of the largest studies of its kind. Researchers at the University of Leicester analysed data from almost 155,000 people diagnosed with aortic stenosis – a narrowing of the valve between the heart’s main pumping chamber and the main artery – between 2000 and 2022 across England, from a database of anonymised GP records. The study found that patients living in the most deprived areas were 7% less likely to be referred for secondary care after their diagnosis compared with patients in the least deprived areas, and 4% less likely to undergo a procedure to replace their aortic valve. The analysis, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, also found that women were 11% less likely to be referred to secondary care, such as a hospital specialist, after their diagnosis than men. Women were also 39% less likely to have a procedure to replace their aortic valve. The study also found that black patients were 48% less likely to undergo a procedure to replace their aortic valve than white patients, with south Asian patients being 27% less likely. Both groups were more likely to be referred to secondary care, although the researchers say that this could reflect referrals for other heart issues not related to their aortic stenosis. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 June 2025
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Content ArticleStigma and misunderstanding of obesity are preventing people from receiving adequate treatment for the disease, which is increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a new report from the World Heart Federation warns. The “World Heart Report 2025 – Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease” launched at the World Heart Summit, highlights the myths that hamper efforts to treat obesity. The problem is compounded by systemic healthcare gaps and is contributing to an economic burden worsened by the aggressive commercial practices of companies making cheap, processed food. The World Heart Report emphasises the trends that could send healthcare costs spiralling: As the rate of child obesity continues to increase, children with a high BMI are 40% more likely than their peers to suffer from CVD in midlife. The onset of obesity at younger ages can significantly reduce life expectancy while the psychological impacts of childhood obesity are profound – obesity is now the leading cause of bullying and discrimination in schools. CVD mortality attributable to high body mass index (BMI) is now highest among middle-income countries, with rates up to 67.5 deaths per 100,000 people in North Africa and the Middle East. Across the globe, obesity cases increased in nearly every country between 1990 to 2022 and global deaths from cardiovascular disease linked to high BMI have more than doubled. If current growth trends continue, data projects that almost 2 in 3 adults over 25 years of age could be overweight or obese by 2050. A shift in types of employment towards desk jobs is also associated with the development of obesity and CVD, as are long working hours and frequently working overtime. The report expresses concern that stigma experienced by people living with obesity is preventing them from receiving adequate treatment through guidance, lifestyle support and appropriate medication.
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News Article
British hospitals introduce treatment for heart failure that cuts deaths by 62%
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People in Britain with heart failure are being given larger doses of drugs at the start of their treatment after a global study found that this led to a huge fall in deaths. Experts say the new approach could mean those with the potentially fatal condition start receiving their ideal amount of medication within two weeks of diagnosis rather than after many months. Evidence from other countries that have already used the treatment found it cut deaths from heart failure by 62% and lowered their risk of ending up back in hospital by 30%. St George’s hospital in London and Morriston hospital in Swansea have begun treating patients with the innovative method, which those involved say “is a total gamechanger” for the condition. Clinical staff likened the approach – known as “rapid titration” – to how cancer patients are given a full dose of chemotherapy medication from the start of their treatment to improve their chances of recovery. “Heart failure is a silent killer, so this new way of treating patients is a total gamechanger that I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. It will save many lives and bring hope to so many families,” said Matthew Sunter, the lead heart failure nurse at St George’s. “In days gone by, we would start patients on a very low dose and increase it by very small doses. It could take nine to 12 months to reach the optimal dose. “Strong-HF has allowed us to think completely differently. For the first time ever, we offer patients a review one week after discharge and we can catch them before they get sick enough to need to come back into hospital. “And we can get them on to the recommended therapy for their heart failure within two to three weeks instead of nine to 12 months.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 April 2025 -
News ArticleA national probe has been launched into the deaths and harm of thousands of NHS patients waiting for cardiac surgery, as doctors and experts warn of a “crisis in heart care”, an investigation by The Independent has revealed. The audit was ordered by NHS England after concerns were raised about the impact on patients left waiting too long for specialist surgery, according to a leaked memo. Waiting times for all types of cardiac surgery are also under review. Senior doctors have described how the NHS is struggling to provide life-saving care to those suffering heart attacks and strokes, with worsening ambulance delays meaning patients are being deprioritised. The latest figures show waiting lists for cardiology services have doubled since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 with 412,164 patients waiting for routine care in October 2024 – up from 397,956 the year before. The Independent can also reveal: Ambulances are transferring just 31% of patients between hospitals for life-saving heart attack surgery in the target time. Nearly 1,000 patients in London face a 10- to 12-week wait for heart surgery who should have had it within four weeks. Multiple coroners have issued warnings in the last year after patients died waiting for routine and emergency cardiology surgery. British Heart Foundation figures suggest 39,000 people died prematurely from cardiovascular disease in 2022. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), and consultant cardiologist, said: “Unacceptably long waits for time-critical heart care puts people at significant risk of life-long heart failure or even premature death." Read full story Source: The Independent, 9 December 2024
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News ArticleA national probe has been launched into the deaths and harm of thousands of NHS patients waiting for cardiac surgery, as doctors and experts warn of a “crisis in heart care”, an investigation by The Independent has revealed. The audit was ordered by NHS England after concerns were raised about the impact on patients left waiting too long for specialist surgery, according to a leaked memo. Waiting times for all types of cardiac surgery are also under review. Senior doctors have described how the NHS is struggling to provide life-saving care to those suffering heart attacks and strokes, with worsening ambulance delays meaning patients are being deprioritised. The latest figures show waiting lists for cardiology services have doubled since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 with 412,164 patients waiting for routine care in October 2024 – up from 397,956 the year before. As of October this year, just 58 per cent of heart patients were seen within the NHS target of 18 weeks. An NHS spokesperson said: “Patients who come to emergency departments with heart attacks and strokes should be transferred as quickly as possible to units that are able to offer this care and prioritised accordingly. Despite significant pressure on services and thanks to staff across the country, the NHS is making good progress with the overall waiting list coming down, however, we know boosting capacity for cardiovascular care remains crucial to improving outcomes. We’re committed to using innovations like surgical hubs and implementing the “right procedure, right place model” to help release capacity and speed up access for patients.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 9 December 2024
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News ArticlePatients in the West Midlands, including some of those suffering heart attacks, are being asked to get themselves to hospital amid worsening pressures on ambulance services this winter. The West Midlands Ambulance Service has advised its 999 call handlers to ask patients if they can make their own way to the hospital when services are under high demand. According to reports in The Sunday Times a memo was sent to staff explaining the change was needed due to delays in patients getting an ambulance. The memo said category three and four patients – those who have fallen or are vomiting – will be told: “The ambulance service is under significant pressure, and we don’t have an ambulance available to respond to you. It may be a number of hours before one is available.” “Is there any way you can arrange to safely make your own way to a hospital emergency department?” All ambulance services have adjusted their guidance for call handlers, according to the reports. West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed that in some cases it is asking people if they can make their own way to hospital, and if they can’t, help will be arranged. Read full story Source: The Independent, 8 December 2024
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News Article
UK will have men's health strategy, government says
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The UK government has announced plans for a men's health strategy. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it would help tackle some of the "biggest issues affecting men of all ages". This may include mental health and suicide prevention, heart disease and prostate cancer. The strategy is expected to be published next year. Men die nearly four years earlier than women, on average, and are disproportionally affected by a number of conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the government, external. They are also less likely to seek help for mental-health issues. Streeting also highlighted social-media pressures, saying men faced similar issues to women around their self-esteem and body image and he would not "shy away" from the need to focus on men’s health. "Nothing frustrates me more than when men’s health and women’s health are somehow pitted in opposition to each other, as if by focusing on a men’s health strategy we are in any way detracting from the brilliant work that successive governments have been doing on women’s health and actually much more work we need to do," he added. Read full story Source: BBC News, 28 November 2024 See our Men's health hub top picks -
News Article
Learning CPR on manikins without breasts puts women’s lives at risk, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Most CPR manikins don’t have breasts, which contributes towards women being less likely to receive life-saving first aid from bystanders, a study has found. The study led by Dr Rebecca Szabo, the lead of the Gandel Simulation Service at the Royal Women’s hospital in Melbourne, analysed all manikin models on the global market designed for adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. Of the 20 different manikins, the researchers found all them had flat torsos, with only one model having a breast overlay. Eight were identified as male and seven had no gender specified. The study, published in the journal Health Promotion International, highlights the findings as an equity issue with implications for the human right to health. Australian research published in June found women are less likely to receive life-saving CPR after cardiac arrest and less likely to survive. A survey by St John Ambulance in the UK, published in October, found women who go into cardiac arrest in public are less likely than men to receive chest compressions from bystanders as people “worry about touching their breasts”. The study suggested “unequal outcomes for women after cardiac arrest may start in CPR training and CPR manikin design related to implicit bias.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 21 November 2024 -
Content ArticleCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, including heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and other arterial and aortic diseases. The British Heart Foundation estimates that there are approximately 6.4 million people in England living with CVD (as at September 2024). In 2022, CVD contributed to a quarter of deaths in England. Local authorities have a statutory duty to commission NHS Health Checks – used to help prevent CVD – for their local eligible population. While DHSC provides funding to local authorities for Health Checks through the public health grant, and retains policy responsibility, local authorities. This report examines the effectiveness of the government‘s approach to identifying, preventing and managing CVD in England. It sets out: levels and trends in CVD in England the role of primary care in detecting and preventing CVD commissioning, delivery and performance on Health Checks wider public health work on preventing CVD.
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News ArticleLess than half of people over the age of 40 in England are getting the heart health checks they are entitled to, according to the government’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office called for a review of how NHS health checks are provided in England, after it found that only 44% of eligible adults attended one in the past five years. The checks, known as a midlife MOT, were introduced in 2009, to help identify those at higher risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and offer tailored advice and treatment to help them manage their risk more effectively. Heart disease is estimated to affect 6.4 million people in England, costing the healthcare system £7.4bn a year and the wider economy an estimated £15.8bn a year. It contributed to a quarter of all deaths in England in 2022. In 2019, NHS England’s long-term plan set a target to prevent 150,000 heart attacks, strokes and dementia cases by 2028-29. The report, “Progess in preventing cardiovascular disease”, calls on the government to assess whether local authorities are best placed to deliver health checks. The Department of Health and Social Care should also “set clear targets for the numbers or percentages of the eligible population who should attend health checks, so they are attended and not just offered”, the NAO said. And there should be incentives to ensure those at highest risk of cardiovascular disease, receive their checks. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “Each year thousands of lives are lost to cardiovascular disease, with billions of pounds spent tackling it. “Health checks can play a crucial role in bringing these numbers down, but the system isn’t working effectively, resulting in not enough people having checks. This is an unsatisfactory basis for delivering an important public health intervention. “The Department of Health and Social Care needs to address the weaknesses in the current system for targeting and delivering health checks if it is to achieve the preventive effect it wants.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 November 2024
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Content ArticleDespite significant progress in cardiovascular pharmacotherapy and interventional strategies, cardiovascular disease (CVD), in particular ischaemic heart disease, remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in the UK and worldwide. Women are underdiagnosed, undertreated and under-represented in clinical trials directed at management strategies for CVD, making their results less applicable to this subset. Women have additional sex-specific risk factors that put them at higher risk of future cardiovascular events. Psychosocial risk factors, socioeconomic deprivation and environmental factors have an augmented impact on women’s cardiovascular health, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to care that considers risk factors specifically related to female biology alongside the traditional risk factors. Importantly, in the UK, even in the context of a National Health Service, there exist significant regional variations in age-standardised mortality rates among patients with CVD. Given most CVDs are preventable, concerted efforts are necessary to address the unmet needs and ensure parity of care for women with CVD. The present consensus document, put together by the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS)’s affiliated societies, specifically portrays the current status on the sex-related differences in the diagnosis and treatment of each of the major CVD areas and proposes strategies to overcome the barriers in accessing diagnoses and treatments among women. This document aims at raising awareness of the scale of the current problem and hopes to stimulate a multifaceted approach to address sex disparities and enable future comprehensive sex- and gender-based research through collaboration across different affiliated societies within the BCS.
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Content ArticleThe early use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) improves outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study in the journal Heart investigated AED access across Great Britain according to socioeconomic deprivation. The authors found that in England and Scotland, there are differences in distances to the nearest 24/7 accessible AED between the most and least deprived communities. They concluded that equitable access to ‘out-of-hours’ accessible AEDs may improve outcomes for people with OHCA.
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Content ArticleThis study in the Journal of Medical Virology aimed to assess the extent and the disparity in excess acute myocardial infarction (AMI)-associated mortality during the pandemic, focusing on the outbreak of the Omicron strain. Using data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Vital Statistics System, the authors found that excess death, defined as the difference between the observed and the predicted mortality rates, was most pronounced for the 25–44 years age group. Excess deaths ranged from 23%–34% for the youngest compared to 13%–18% for the oldest age groups. The trend of mortality suggests that age and sex disparities have persisted even through the Omicron surge, with excess AMI-associated mortality being most pronounced in younger-aged adults.
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Content ArticlePublicly available data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) shows a persistently high number of excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease (CVD) in England since the beginning of the pandemic. This analysis of by the British Heart Foundation looks at this situation in more detail. Key findings As of June 2023, there have been nearly 100,000 excess deaths in England involving CVD since the beginning of the pandemic. On average, there have been over 500 additional deaths a week involving CVD since the pandemic began. While deaths from Covid-19 have fallen year-on-year since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of deaths involving CVD have remained high above expected levels. Excess deaths involving CVD outnumber those involving all other individual disease areas since the beginning of the pandemic in England. In light of these findings, the British Heart Foundation is calling on the Government to: make NHS heart care a priority. improve prevention of heart disease and stroke. invest in research for treatments and cures.
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Content ArticleThe major conditions strategy is a national framework being developed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). It will focus on six major groups of conditions: cancers cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and diabetes chronic respiratory diseases dementia mental ill health musculoskeletal disorders This briefing by NHS Confederation examines how the upcoming major conditions strategy can set the conditions to prevent, treat and manage multimorbidity in England. Key points NHS leaders have identified key levers that the major conditions strategy can use to maximise its impact on healthy life expectancy and reduce inequalities. These fall under three categories: create a healthy society, make the most of existing infrastructure and policy and implementation. The major conditions strategy will allow health services to evolve from a single-disease approach to a multimorbidity approach, which will match how patients need to use the service. Integrated care systems will provide vital infrastructure for the sharing of data, integration of services and creation of a patient-centred approach to health and care provision. A health service designed around multimorbidity would be a step-change for patients and requires a series of shifts to be made in both focus and provision.
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Content ArticleCommunity public access defibrillators (CPADs) contain an automated electronic device (AED) that, in the event of a sudden out of hospital cardiac arrest, can provide lifesaving treatment by delivering an electric shock to the heart. CPADs can be found in public areas such as disused telephone boxes or community centres, and often the defibrillators are locked and a special code is needed to open the unit. In this blog, Sharon Perkins, HSIB Maternity Investigator, looks at the issues surrounding the accessibility of CPADs. During the course of a maternity investigation, the HSIB team became aware of instances where access to CPADs had been restricted by their location and lack of registration.
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Content Article
The National Vascular Registry (NVR) has published a report on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on vascular surgery in the UK, presenting key findings from NVR data throughout 2020 and 2021. NVR previously reported on data as at 25 September 2020, which showed that Covid-19 infection in patients undergoing vascular surgical procedures significantly increased the risk of respiratory complications and mortality. Here, they update this analysis, using data through to the end of 2021, and explore whether the Covid-19 vaccination programme provided protection to patients against this life-threatening complication. One finding is that, between March 2020 and Dec 2021, confirmed postoperative Covid-19 diagnoses were most common among non-elective procedures, ranging from 18.4% (non-elective AAA repair) to 27.5% (major lower limb amputation). For elective procedures, the reported rates of confirmed postoperative Covid-19 diagnoses were lower, ranging from 1.6% (elective AAA repair) to 4.1% (lower-limb bypass). Other key findings include: There was only a modest rise during the first Covid-19 wave (Mar-Jun 2020) with a larger rise during the second wave (Nov 2020-Feb 2021) There was a different pattern for respiratory complications after surgery, with higher rates observed in both wave 1 and wave 2 The period from March to December 2021 was associated with rates of respiratory complications and in-hospital postoperative mortality returning to levels observed pre-pandemic in 2019 Overall, the report concludes that the vaccination programme had a modest benefit to patients in reducing the risk of respiratory complications, and therefore carries a public health message relevant for both national and international audiences. -
Content ArticleThe Covid-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the detection and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors including hypertension. In June 2022, nearly two million fewer people with hypertension were recorded as being treated to target, compared with the previous year. As a result, NHS England commissioned the AHSN Network to deliver a new national Blood Pressure Optimisation (BPO) programme building on its portfolio of work around cardiovascular disease. This report lays out: evidence about the impact of the BPO programme how it has been received by frontline staff how it has been implemented nationally.
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News ArticleArtificial intelligence could be used to predict if a person is at risk of having a heart attack up to 10 years in the future, a study has found. The technology could save thousands of lives while improving treatment for almost half of patients, researchers at the University of Oxford said. The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), looked at how AI might improve the accuracy of cardiac CT scans, which are used to detect blockages or narrowing in the arteries. Prof Charalambos Antoniades, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the BHF and director of the acute multidisciplinary imaging and interventional centre at Oxford, said: “Our study found that some patients presenting in hospital with chest pain – who are often reassured and sent back home – are at high risk of having a heart attack in the next decade, even in the absence of any sign of disease in their heart arteries. “Here we demonstrated that providing an accurate picture of risk to clinicians can alter, and potentially improve, the course of treatment for many heart patients.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 November 2023
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News ArticleA 25-year-old who died from a heart haemorrhage after being diagnosed with a panic attack had been seen by a non-medical school trained physician associate (PA) but not a doctor, it has emerged. Ben Peters, 25, attended the emergency department at Manchester Royal Infirmary on the morning of 11 Nov 2022 with chest pain, arm ache, a sore throat and shortness of breath. While waiting, he endured a “severe episode of vomiting”. Peters was diagnosed with a panic attack and gastric inflammation by the PA and sent home with two medications, after a supervising consultant, who the coroner found never reviewed the patient in person, agreed with the diagnosis. Less than 24 hours later, Peters died from a rare complication of the heart that had resulted in a tear of the heart’s major artery, known as aortic dissection, and led to a fatal haemorrhage. The Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust (TADCT) says around 2,000 people in Britain die from the condition each year, which can be “reliably diagnosed or excluded” using a CT scan, but “misdiagnosis affects one-third of patients”. A prevention of future deaths notice issued by Chris Morris, the area coroner for Greater Manchester South, written to Manchester University Foundation Trust, said: “It is a matter of concern that despite the patient’s reported symptoms, in view of his age and extensive family history of cardiac problems, Mr Peters was discharged from the Ambulatory Care Unit without being examined or reviewed in person by a doctor." Read full story Source: The Telegraph, 21 October 2023
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News Article
Wait-and-see policy on heart devices puts lives at risk, says UK charity
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Patients are needlessly being put at risk of dying from heart problems because they have to wait months to be fitted with lifesaving implantable defibrillators, experts have said. Two million people in the UK live with coronary heart disease, which is a leading cause of heart failure. Those at the highest risk of dying as a result of heart failure may be offered an implantable cardioverter defibrillator device (ICD). These can kickstart the heart and may save their life. Patients have to wait at least 90 days before they can be fitted with an ICD while doctors wait to see if stents and medication might improve their health. However, a large study funded by the British Heart Foundation suggests there is little or no benefit to waiting, and the charity says lives are needlessly being put at risk as a result. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, an associate medical director at the BHF, said the results had significant implications. “The findings suggest that the current ‘wait and see’ approach to find out whether a patient’s heart function improves with medication and stents isn’t always best, and that an unnecessary wait could even be the difference between life and death,” she said. “The results from this large UK-wide trial could lead to re-evaluation of how best to treat people living with severe heart failure due to coronary heart disease.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 11 September 2023 -
News Article
A public defibrillator may be a mile away in deprived areas
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
In the most deprived areas of England and Scotland, the nearest 24/7 accessible defibrillator is on average a round trip of 1.8 km away—over a mile—according to a pioneering study supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The researchers, led by Dr Chris Wilkinson, senior lecturer in cardiology at Hull York Medical School, used data from national defibrillator network The Circuit to calculate the median road distance to a defibrillator with unrestricted public access across Great Britain's 1.7 million postcodes. Among the 78,425 defibrillator locations included, the median distance from the centre of a postcode to a 24/7 public access defibrillator was 726.1 metres – 0.45 miles. In England and Scotland, the more deprived an area was, the farther its average distance from a 24/7-accessible defibrillator – on average 99 metres more in England, and 317 metres farther in Scotland for people living in the most compared with the least deprived areas. There was no link between defibrillator location and deprivation in Wales. The researchers said they hoped the findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Amsterdam and published in the journal Heart, would lead to more equal access to defibrillators. They noted that there were over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) annually in the UK; in England nearly 30% happened at weekends, and 40% between 6pm and 6am. Read full story Read research study: Automated external defibrillator location and socioeconomic deprivation in Great Britain (28 August 2023) Source: Medscape, 29 August 2023 -
News Article
Targeted screening of diabetic patients ‘could double heart condition diagnoses’
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Targeted screening of patients with type 2 diabetes could more than double new diagnoses of heart conditions, a study suggests. When applied at a larger scale, such an approach could translate into tens of thousands of new diagnoses, researchers believe. Conditions such as coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation and heart failure affect millions of people worldwide, causing a large number of deaths and increasing healthcare costs. Treatments are available that can prevent stroke or acute heart failure, but systematic screening is not currently common practice. Those living with conditions such as type 2 diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties – are at high risk of such conditions. A team of researchers led by Dr Amy Groenewegen, from the University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands, has developed a three-step screening process to detect conditions in high-risk people at an early stage. Study author Dr Groenewegen said: “An easy-to-implement strategy more than doubled the number of new diagnoses of heart failure, atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease in high-risk patients.” Read full story Source: Independent, 29 August 2023 -
News Article
Government reports on 'overdue' major conditions strategy
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
The Government must provide the health service with more support to fulfil its ambition of extending healthy life expectancy and reducing premature death, an expert has warned. It comes after the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) published an interim report on its Major Conditions Strategy, a 5-year blueprint to help manage six disease groups more effectively and tackle health inequality. The groups are cancer, cardiovascular disease – including stroke and diabetes – musculoskeletal conditions, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health conditions and dementia. The Government said the illnesses "account for over 60% of ill health and early death in England", while patients with two or more conditions account for about 50% of hospital admissions, outpatient visits, and primary care consultations. By 2035, two-thirds of adults over 65 are expected to be living with two or more conditions, while 17% could have four or more. Sally Gainsbury, Nuffield Trust senior policy analyst, said the Government is right to focus on the six conditions, but "will need to shift more of its focus towards primary prevention, early diagnosis, and symptom management". She added: "What's less clear is how Government will support health and care systems to do this in the context of severe pressures on staff and other resources, as well as a political culture that tends to place far more focus on what happens inside hospitals than what happens in community healthcare services, GP practices and pharmacies. This initiative is both long overdue and its emphasis has shifted over time. The Major Conditions Strategy is being developed in place of a White Paper on health inequalities originally promised over 18 months ago." Read full story Source: Medscape, 16 August 2023 -
Content ArticleEuropean guidelines advise that patients suffering ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) should be revascularised within 120 minutes of diagnosis. The preferred method of revascularization is primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). This study in BMJ Heart analysed the Northern Irish STEMI database to establish the proportion of pPCI delivered within the recommended treatment window. It aimed to determine whether there was any difference in long-term survival for patients treated beyond the recommended time window. The authors found that delays that result in primary PCI beyond 120 minutes from diagnostic ECG are associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality following STEMI in Northern Ireland.
