The number waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS heart treatment in England has increased fivefold

The number of patients with serious heart problems waiting more than 18 weeks for care has increased fivefold since Covid struck, with some so ill they can die due to long delays in the NHS.

More than 163,000 people in England face long waits, some of whom are in such poor health that doctors fear they will have a heart attack, stroke or die prematurely. The number was 86,540 in February 2022 and 32,186 in February 2020, according to a Guardian analysis.

The revelation, described as ‘alarming’ by leading cardiologists, came as the total waiting list for heart care grew for the third month in a row to 408,548, continuing the trend of overall NHS waiting lists slowly falling. In February 2020 there were 233,081.

The overall waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has fallen for the fifth month in a row. There are an estimated 7.54 million treatments awaiting implementation – for 6.29 million patients – a slight decrease from 7.58 million treatments and 6.32 million patients a month ago.

Waiting lists for most medical areas with comparable data have grown since the pandemic, but not as much as cardiology. General surgery has increased by 30% since February 2020, ophthalmology by 38%, neurology by 68% and urology by 70%. The waiting list for heart care has increased by 75%.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, cardiologist and associate professor at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It is shocking to see that waiting lists for heart care have risen for the third month in a row, despite overall waiting lists having fallen.

“Why this is happening needs urgent investigation, but it is likely to be a complicated picture.” Likely factors include a “severe shortage of cardiac staff” in the NHS, an aging population and rising health inequalities, she said.

People on the cardiac list are awaiting procedures such as open-heart surgery, including bypasses or valve replacement surgeries, placing a stent or balloon to reopen a blocked artery, placing a pacemaker or an implantable defibrillator. Others urgently need an echocardiogram, CT or MRI scan to help doctors decide on treatment.

Some have already had a heart attack or stroke and require specialist heart care to reduce the risk of further deterioration.

“Long wait times put people’s lives at risk,” Babu-Narayan said. “Failure to undergo the right heart test, treatment or surgery at the right time can lead to a preventable heart attack, incurable heart failure or even premature death.

“The sheer number of people waiting more than 18 weeks for vital heart care shocks and saddens me – it would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Without urgent intervention, such long wait times on this extreme scale will leave people at unacceptable risk of death or disability for years to come.”

Rishi Sunak has insisted the government is making progress in reducing NHS waiting lists in England, although the latest figures published on Thursday showed targets were still not being met.

The Prime Minister said prolonged strikes by consultants and trainee doctors had had an impact on patient care. Referring to the total waiting list for treatment of 7.54 million, Sunak said: “A drop of almost 200,000 in the last five months shows what the NHS can do for patients. If there had been no strike action, an additional 430,000 patients could have been treated.

“We still have more work to do, but our plan is working.”

However, Labor stressed that waiting lists are still higher than when Sunak promised to abolish them in early 2023. And the Lib Dems accused Sunak of “living in a parallel universe”.

Cutting NHS waiting lists was one of Sunak’s priorities last year, and figures released on Thursday showed he is still a long way from achieving this target. While waiting lists are falling, they remain higher than when he made his promise.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today program before the data was released, Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, appeared to admit the Prime Minister had failed.

Asked whether Sunak had “failed to deliver”, Atkins said: “Yes… Of course we know there are people, they are waiting, they are in pain, they are in fear. We absolutely understand that.”

NHS England’s national medical director, Prof Sir Stephen Powis, said the latest data “further demonstrates the NHS’s commitment to restoring services” despite “huge demand”. He said “there is still more to go” but “it is clear that the NHS is treating more patients faster and we have announced new ambitions for this financial year to build on the improvements made so far”.

But Danielle Jefferies, senior analyst at the King’s Fund, warned that the NHS is “stuck in a cycle of poor performance”.

Tim Gardner, deputy director of policy at the Health Foundation, said the workforce is “under enormous pressure” and without bold action the problems facing the NHS will not go away.