A Labour Member of Parliament is spearheading a campaign for a national heart screening programme, driven by a devastating personal loss and stark statistics showing 12 young people aged 35 and under die suddenly each week in the UK from previously undetected heart conditions.
A Personal Tragedy Fuels Political Action
Amanda Hack, the MP for North West Leicestershire, was moved to act after her niece, Isabella Wright, lost her partner. The young man, described as fit and healthy, passed away in his sleep due to an unknown heart condition. "It's caused huge devastation," Ms Hack stated, highlighting the profound injustice felt by families. She emphasised that simple, available tests like an ECG or Echocardiogram could have identified the risk.
"We're not going to be able to eradicate it completely, but I think one of the things for me is making sure we can prevent as much of this as we can, because it's completely avoidable," the MP argued. She pointed to the success of Italy's national screening programme for young competitive athletes, which has reduced sudden cardiac death by 90%.
The Charity Fighting for Prevention
Ms Hack's calls are strongly supported by the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). Suzanne Rowan, a CRY representative whose husband Robert died from cardiomyopathy failure in 2018, shared her experience. "It's really important to me that I can try and help and get people tested, so that other families are spared going through what we've gone through," she said.
Since its founding in 1995, CRY has tested approximately 343,000 young people. However, the charity's CEO, Dr Steven Cox, condemned the current reliance on bereaved families to fund screenings. "It is fundamentally wrong that the only reason that tens of thousands of young people in the UK are able to have their hearts tested each year is because bereaved families are forced to raise the funds themselves," he said.
Government Response and the Path Forward
The campaign highlights a critical gap in preventative healthcare for the young. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care offered condolences and noted that the UK National Screening Committee is currently examining evidence for screening for risks of sudden cardiac death. They confirmed a public consultation on the matter will be opened in due course.
The push for a national programme underscores a simple, powerful message from advocates: with 80% of these tragic deaths occurring with no prior symptoms, proactive screening is not just an option but a necessity to save young lives.
