Some of them are in such poor health they will have a heart attack and die as a consequence of facing such "dangerous" long delays, the British Heart Foundation has warned.
The number of patients in England being forced to wait more than the supposed maximum 18 weeks for cardiac treatment has trebled since Covid struck, from 32,186 in February 2020 to an unprecedented 96,321, a BHF analysis of published NHS England data shows.
They are waiting for procedures such as having a stent or balloon inserted to reopen a blocked artery, a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator fitted, or open heart surgery, including bypasses or valve replacement operations. Others urgently need to have an echocardiogram, CT or MRI scan to help doctors decide on treatment.
Some have already had a heart attack or stroke, and need specialist cardiac care to reduce the risk of them suffering any further deterioration.
The large rise in long delays for cardiac treatment was disclosed yesterday.
The latest NHS England performance data showed that almost 6.5 million people are now waiting for some sort of planned hospital treatment, including surgery.
This story is from the June 17, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the June 17, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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