Thousands of lives are being put at risk because the warning signs of heart failure are being missed until patients are desperately ill. The devastating 52% rise in hospitalisations over the past decade exposes a health system struggling to detect a potentially deadly condition before it becomes a medical emergency.
More than a million affected
More than a million Britons are living with heart failure, yet too many discover the terrible truth only when they are fighting for breath. The British Heart Foundation warns much of this suffering could be prevented.
With diagnoses expected to double by 2040, the consequences of continued inaction are frightening. Patients are paying a terrible price for delays that pile further pressure on an NHS already stretched to breaking point.
Families facing avoidable suffering
Behind these alarming figures are families facing avoidable suffering, permanent damage and the devastating prospect of losing loved ones. Better access to tests, faster diagnosis and treatment before patients reach crisis point are urgently needed.
The NHS cannot afford to ignore this warning. Neither can the Government.
