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Arrhythmia Alliance E-Bulletin |
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“Promoting better understanding, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for individuals with cardiac arrhythmia” |
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April 2007 |
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Registered Charity No. 1107496 |
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The Prime Ministrer recently met some of the frontline NHS staff who have helped prevent more than 100,000 deaths from coronary heart disease since 1997, as well as some of the patients whose lives have been saved. He said that the Government was well on track to meeting two years early its 2010 target of ensuring 40% of coronary heart disease sufferers do not die prematurely. When Labour took office, CHD patients could wait up to two years for treatment, but now no one waits more than three months for heart surgery, he will say. Speaking in advance of today's event at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister said: "In 10 years, the debate about the NHS has gone from one about its very survival as an institution to one about the quality of care which it delivers. "Our progress in cutting deaths from heart disease illustrates this transition perfectly. This has been achieved through a combination of radical reforms and historic investment in the NHS. "We seldom have the chance to hear directly from the people who have benefited from the work of the NHS. Through the hard work of people like the staff I am meeting today we have prevented more than 100,000 deaths. That's more than 100,000 families who have avoided a bereavement. "When politicians start their careers they hope to change the lives of the people they represent. In this Government, we have been able to do just that. Hearing the stories of the people who I am meeting today is, quite literally, one of the reasons why I and many other ministers came into politics." The lives of around 107,000 CHD patients have been saved between 1996 and 2005, out of a total 150,000 lives saved from cardiovascular disease, including CHD, stroke and related conditions, said Downing Street. There are twice the number of heart operations as in 1997 as well as increased preventative work. More patients now enjoy post operative support and care in community settings, allowing them to recover in their own homes. The number of consultant cardiologists has increased from 467 to 725 between 1999 and 2005, while the number of heart surgeons has increased from 182 to 238 over the same period. The Department of Health's heart tsar, Professor Roger Boyle, said: "Patients have seen massive improvements in care thanks to record investment - standards are rising and variations in services are being eradicated. "The NHS has embraced the CHD National Service Framework, working to improve services and save lives. With the death rate from circulatory diseases falling by nearly 36%, we are due to meet our target two years early. "But success breeds challenge - as more lives are saved from heart attacks, more people are living with slightly damaged hearts. The NHS needs to make sure that it is providing good rehabilitation services - we know that specialised support in the community and care at home makes a major difference for heart attack survivors." Prof Boyle will join clinicians and patients in describing coronary care to the Prime Minister, and demonstrating the use of defibrillators, a piece of kit which saves lives by restarting the heart with an electric shock. Some 3,000 defibrillators are now installed in public places like railway stations and have saved more than 93 lives over the last few years. The Prime Minister will also learn about the importance of educating middle-aged men to recognise and respond to chest pain and how paramedics are now trained to diagnose and treat patients before they reach hospital. Advanced kit in ambulances now means a patient can bypass A&E and be taken directly to specialist units for angioplasty, a minimally intrusive balloon technique that unblocks arteries. Emma Walker Policy and Campaigns Administrator British Heart Foundation 020 7487 8608 (x578)
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