Helpline calls rise as heart care delays grow

THE number of people seeking advice about heart care has soared as patients face “frightening delays”, a charity has said.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said that demand for its helpline has “soared amid ongoing delays to people’s heart care”.

One patient described a 72week wait for heart surgery, which “would have been unthinkable just a few years ago,” the BHF said.

The BHF said there was a 40 per cent increase in people contacting its heart helpline between December and February compared to the same period the year before.

Some 7,858 people reached out for help during these months.

The heart charity said it has had to double the number of cardiac nurses available to work on its helpline to cope with the rising demand.

Many people who contacted the helpline raised concerns at not being able to get a diagnosis or an appointment for a heart problem, it said.

The BHF highlighted the latest NHS figures which show that about 400,000 people were waiting for a heart test, operation or other heart procedure at the end of January in England.

The charity has estimated that tens of thousands more are waiting for a GP referral, regular check-up with a specialist or for aftercare such as cardiac rehabilitation.

Chloe MacArthur, helpline nurse lead at the BHF, said: “It’s concerning that so many people we speak to are facing stressful and often frightening delays to their time-sensitive heart care."

An NHS England spokesperson said: “While the pandemic inevitably had an impact, hardworking NHS staff across the country are making good progress on the NHS’s elective recovery plan, with the overall waiting list for elective care coming down for the fourth month in a row despite significant pressure on services."