Heart treatment wait times rise 25%

THERE’S a “ticking timebomb” in healthcare in the South East, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The charity recently revealed that the number of people waiting more than four months for heart procedures is 25% higher than it was pre-pandemic.

It said these figures show that the pandemic has caused “devastating disruption” to heart disease care — and could be putting more lives at risk.

According to the BHF, more than 6,600 people in the South East waited at least 18 weeks for heart-related treatments in February, compared to 5,300 people in 2020.

It also warned 616 people waited more than a year for heart operations and procedures, compared to three in February 2020.

Meanwhile, GP referrals to specialist heart doctors fell by nearly a third (29%) in 2020.

Now, the BHF has predicted that come autumn, there will be a clear rise in the country’s heart and circulatory disease death rate for 2020 — and it’s worried this could reverse “decades of progress”.

It also said the spike in deaths is “just the tip of the iceberg” and the country could see a generation of lives cut short from treatable heart conditions.

Dr Sonya Babu-Naraya, associate medical director at the BHF and consultant cardiologist, said: “Despite the tireless efforts of NHS staff, the pandemic has caused untold heartbreak, with thousands of extra heart disease and stroke deaths and significant delays to cardiovascular care.

“We face a ticking timebomb for the future that could … reverse six decades of progress in reducing death rates from heart disease and stroke.”

The BHF is urging the Government to tackle the backlog of patients.