A new report warns that decades of progress in treating heart disease and strokes could be undone due to failures in the NHS under the previous government. The report, authored by renowned surgeon and Labour peer Ara Darzi, highlights serious concerns about the state of the health service in England.
Ahead of its official release on Thursday, the health department shared statistics on cardiovascular disease that underscore the challenges facing ministers. They aim to emphasize the scale of the issue and the need for preventive measures to alleviate pressure on the NHS.
The report indicates that while the age-adjusted mortality rate for cardiovascular disease significantly decreased for people under 75 between 2001 and 2010, progress has stagnated since then. Mortality rates began to rise again during the Covid-19 pandemic. The British Heart Foundation echoed this concern, stating that the number of people dying from cardiovascular disease before age 75 has reached its highest level in 14 years.
A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care expressed alarm over the decline in progress, stating, “It is concerning that the gains made in heart disease and stroke management are now declining. This reflects a failure to maintain public health and an inability of the NHS to provide necessary support when it is most needed.”
The report will also reveal significant regional disparities in cardiovascular treatment. For instance, patients in Surrey at high risk of heart attacks typically wait less than 90 minutes for procedures to clear blocked arteries. In contrast, patients in areas like Bedford, Luton, and Milton Keynes may wait up to four hours for the same treatment.
Additionally, the report highlights the strong correlation between poverty and cardiovascular disease risk. Statistics from 2022 show that individuals under 75 in the most deprived regions of England are 2.6 times more likely to die from heart disease than those in wealthier areas.
The opposition has criticized the implication in Darzi’s report that the last government neglected the NHS. They argue it fails to account for various societal and demographic pressures. Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins pointed out that the report focuses solely on England, ignoring the more severe health situation in Labour-run Wales. She accused Health Secretary Wes Streeting of merely increasing junior doctors’ pay without implementing necessary reforms.
Labour leader Keir Starmer stated that the report illustrates how the previous administration “damaged the NHS.” He emphasized the need to understand the circumstances that led to this situation to facilitate necessary reforms.
An early release of the report’s findings indicated that children are particularly suffering due to the shortcomings of the health service.
Streeting acknowledged the report’s emphasis on the urgent need for NHS reform. He noted that Lord Darzi, who has extensive experience in the NHS, believes the system is “broken, but not defeated.” He stressed that both investment and reform are essential, warning that without systemic changes, the consequences of failure will continue to be felt.
“The reason we commissioned Lord Darzi to conduct this review is that without an accurate diagnosis, we cannot prescribe the appropriate treatment,” Streeting stated.