Campaigners are calling for urgent action to stop preventable deaths from heart valve disease – as new research reveals a diagnosis postcode lottery.
A survey by charity Heart Valve Voice found patients are three times more likely to face delays in the UK’s most deprived postcodes – and it is calling for action.
Valve disease affects how the heart pumps blood and can be fatal if left untreated.
In the survey of more than 300 patients, 75% of those in the most deprived areas experienced a delay in treatment compared to about 20% of other areas.
Wil Woan, executive director of Heart Valve Voice, said: “Every day delayed is a missed opportunity to intervene early.”
He said about 1.5 million over-65s have heart valve disease, and while it is common, and serious, it is “very treatable”.
But he added those in areas of social deprivation were “more likely to face worse experience, poorer outcomes – and that’s why urgent action is needed.”
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In these areas, he said, “many people don’t know anything about heart valve disease and certainly don’t know the symptoms.
“Moreover, they often don’t present to their GP or follow conventional treatment pathways.
“Our findings show that delays cause avoidable harm, both physical and emotional, and place unnecessary pressure on frontline services.”
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Kirstie Campbell’s mother Sue died having been misdiagnosed by her GP for almost a decade.
She told Sky News: “Had mum have had the surgery she would have been here, she would have survived.”
Experts say community-based heart screenings could help close the gap and save lives.
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Leoni Bryan, is a cardiology nurse at Kings Hospital London, which provides community clinics to improve diagnosis – the first of its kind in the country.
She has been running screening sessions for the past few months in southeast London, visiting local churches, mosques and libraries to listen out for heart murmurs – the tell-tale sign of heart valve disease.
Working on improvements
She said symptoms of heart valve disease could include a patient feeling more breathless on exertion, feeling more tired, or experiencing chest pains.
NHS bodies across the four nations told Sky News they were all working to improve heart care and tackle inequalities through improved access to treatment and faster diagnosis.
