Fears heart patients missing out on care

More people could be at risk of heart problems due to the pandemic, officials at a charity have warned.

A drastic drop in hospital admissions among heart failure patients in North East England during the first wave of the pandemic could mean that hundreds did not get the care they urgently need, say the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Analysis by the charity found there were 7,655 heart failure hospital admissions in the region between January and September 2019. However, this fell to 5,735 during the same period in 2020 – a 25% drop.

Officials fear people may be missing out on treatment as its Heart Helpline has heard reports from patients who have not been able to access their care.

The charity says patients may be fearful of catching

Covid-19 and do not want to add pressure on the NHS, which could be contributing towards a decrease in admissions.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, BHF Medical Director, said: “The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has been an anxious and isolating time for many people living with heart failure.

"We know the health service is working extremely hard to treat all patients, but our analysis suggests some patients may have fallen through the cracks and become invisible to the system.

“Now, as we come out of the pandemic, is the time to focus on resuming and improving care, so people with heart failure are able to have a better quality of life, for longer.

“To achieve this, every level of the health system needs to be joined up.”