PRESS RELEASE FROM Martin Vickers MP
Local MP pledges to tackle major killer in Cleethorpes constituency
Martin Vickers MP today pledged his support for the “Don’t Fail on Heart Failure” campaign, which was launched in Parliament on 18th June.
During the reception Martin met patients and clinicians, before signing the Don’t Fail on Heart Failure pledge, committing to support patient access to treatments and technology that save lives.
Immediately after the reception, the Heart Failure pledge was delivered to the Department of Health.
Untreated, heart failure has a survival rate similar to cancer - and over a third die within 1 year of diagnosis.
NICE is appraising availability of ICD and CRT-D devices in January.
Mr Vickers said:
“As the local MP, I want to see heart failure patients throughout my constituency get the treatment they need to live their lives. The implantable devices I saw today take people from constant fatigue back into work. The NHS needs to make sure these life-enhancing technologies are available for those who need them.”
Notes to editors
1. The full text of the heart failure pledge is:
“Heart failure affects 3 in very hundred women and 4 in every hundred men. Untreated, over a third die within a year of diagnosis. The UK needs to do better on heart failure to improve outcomes for patients.
“We should not leave heart failure suffers waiting to die. More should be done to improve patients’ quality of lives; better manage their condition to reduce unnecessary hospitalisations and save the NHS money; and help mortality from heart failure.
“Many people with heart failure also suffer from abnormal rhythms in their heart which can prove fatal. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) jolt the heart back into its natural rhythm when it goes out of rhythm. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy devices (CRT-Ds) help pace the heart to enable it to pump blood more efficiently and include a defibrillation function, offering protection from sudden cardiac death.”
“We fully support efforts to raise awareness of heart failure and efforts to improve patient access to the latest cost effective medical technology for treating heart failure including ICDs and CRT-Ds.”
2. Heart failure: A person has heart failure if their heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet their body’s needs. Causes range from hypertension to a heart attack to a virus. Patients suffering heart failure develop increasing breathlessness and fatigue when carrying out daily activities – and ultimately at rest. Consequently, ability to work is greatly impaired along with health and quality of life. Heart failure eventually affects 3 in every hundred women, and 4 in every hundred men. Heart failure imposes huge costs on the NHS. It accounts for 5% of all emergency hospital admissions and 2% of all NHS hospital bed days.
3. Patients who received CRT-Ds and ICD implants had a death rate 25% to 45% lower than those who instead took the best available drugs. For patients with mild to moderate heart failure, ICDs and CRT reduced monthly admission rates to hospital by 20% to 35%.