Thousands being 'harmed' by cardiac surgery backlog

A national probe has been launched into the deaths and harm of thousands of NHS patients waiting for cardiac surgery, as doctors and experts warn of a "crisis in heart care", an investigation by The Independent has revealed.

- REBECCA THOMAS

The audit was ordered by NHS England after concerns were raised about the impact on patients left waiting too long for specialist surgery, according to a leaked memo.

Waiting times for all types of cardiac surgery are also under review. Senior doctors have described how the NHS is struggling to provide life-saving care to those suffering heart attacks and strokes, with worsening ambulance delays meaning patients are being deprioritised.

The latest figures show waiting lists for cardiology services have doubled since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 with 412,164 patients waiting for routine care in October 2024 – up from 397,956 the year before. As of October this year, just 58 per cent of heart patients were seen within the NHS target of 18 weeks.

The Independent can also reveal:

Ambulances are transferring just 31 per cent of patients between hospitals for life-saving heart attack surgery in the target time

Nearly 1,000 patients in London face a 10- to 12-week wait for heart surgery who should have had it within four weeks

Multiple coroners have issued warnings in the last year after patients died waiting for routine and emergency cardiology surgery

British Heart Foundation figures suggest 39,000 people died prematurely from cardiovascular disease in 2022

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, and consultant cardiologist, said: “Unacceptably long waits for time-critical heart care puts people at significant risk of life-long heart failure or even premature death. We keep seeing more people on waiting lists and a significant proportion of them waiting longer than they should. And we’ve not seen the worst of winter yet.” She warned the government must not “become numb to this heart care crisis” and must commit to better prevention and detection to avoid more loss of life.