Roche Diagnostics partnered with Public Policy Projects, an independent policy institute, to publish a report that shines a light on the serious burden that late heart failure diagnosis in the UK places on patients and the wider healthcare system. It reviews existing publications and includes an analysis of UK primary care and secondary care records conducted by IQVIA*and Public Health England (PHE) ‘fingertips’ data by Anderson Strategy.
With forewords from Sir Mike Richards (Chair of the National Screening Committee and author of the independent review into NHS diagnostics capacity: Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal), Dr Clare Taylor (Heart Failure Researcher, General Practitioner) and contributions from Nick Hartshorne-Evans (Heart Failure patient, Founder and CEO, The Pumping Marvellous Foundation) the report includes policy recommendations at a national, regional and local level.
It also highlights opportunities where a collaborative approach to service improvement could deliver tangible benefits for the healthcare system as a whole, those involved in the treatment and care of patients with heart failure, and more importantly, for the hundreds of thousands of people in the UK who are diagnosed with heart failure every year.
This report is an important milestone in the journey of improvement our diagnostic services are on. It highlights the benefits of earlier diagnosis for patients and the wider health system, and clearly sets out recommendations for all those involved in the treatment and care of patients presenting with heart failure symptoms
SIR MIKE RICHARDS Chair of the National Screening Committee and author of the independent review into NHS diagnostics capacity: Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal.
Early detection of heart failure is key for patients and their families to ensure life-saving treatments are delivered sooner, hospitalisation is prevented, and quality and quantity of life is improved.
DR CLARE TAYLOR MBE Heart Failure Researcher, General Practitioner
A heart failure diagnosis is a devastating one and unfortunately, most people have their diagnosis confirmed in A&E after years of living with unresolved symptoms which have been misdiagnosed or were left to worsen. A diagnosis doesn’t have to mean the end for people, however. Instead, it is the vital first step in identifying treatment options to allow the condition to be managed appropriately, leading to people living better with their heart failure.
NICK HARTSHORNE-EVANS Heart Failure patient, Founder and CEO, The Pumping Marvellous Foundation
Download the infographic for a summary of the report's findings and recommendations.