Waiting lists for cardiac care have increased again in the UK, bucking the trend of declines in overall waiting lists.

The latest NHS England figures released today show that at the end of January 2024, there were 408,061 people on heart disease waiting lists in England, an increase of 2,101 people on the previous month.

Heart care waiting lists are up 75% compared to February 2020. This is an increase of 174,980 people, almost enough to fill Wembley Stadium almost twice as full.

As of the end of January 2024, the number of people waiting more than four months for potentially lifesaving cardiac care had decreased. However, one-third (40%) of all people on heart care waiting lists have been waiting more than 18 weeks for heart care treatment. Care.

The number of people waiting more than a year for urgent heart tests or treatment fell to 10,304 from 10,726 in December. Only 28 people waited this long in February 2020.

The latest response time for ambulances was 36 minutes, an improvement from January but still above the official target for responding to Category 2 calls, which include suspected heart attacks and strokes. NHS England and the Government have set a new average target of 30 minutes for 2023/24. This goal was achieved in just one month from April 2023.

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The longer a person waits for treatment, the greater the risk of disability and early death from heart failure.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: “Despite overall waiting lists decreasing, cardiac treatment waiting lists continue to increase. This is because so many heart patients endure long waits for treatment. But cardiac care cannot wait. Significant delays in cardiac care can lead to avoidable heart attacks, heart failure, and even premature death.

“Sadly, as we reported in January, the extreme and continued pressure on NHS cardiac care is leading to a number of It is likely to be one of the contributing factors. We need to see bold action to prioritize NHS cardiac care and medical care to reduce the painful waiting times faced by patients. ”

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