All GPs and hospitals should have access to a cheap blood test for the diagnosis of heart failure, according to a report published today.
About a third of GPs and a third of hospital trusts do not have access to natriuretic peptide testing, according to the report of the All Parliamentary Group on Heart Disease.
The test, costing £28 a time, has been available since the late 1990s and would save nearly £4 million in diagnostic costs, the report says.
The report says all patients should have specialist input into their care. And it says there should be proper monitoring of the clinical workforce caring for heart failure patients.
Adviser Professor Andrew Clark, a cardiologist at Hull University, said: “The care we can offer heart failure patients can greatly increase their life expectancy, and in many cases restore a degree of normality to their life. Treatment is relatively simple, relatively cheap, and can dramatically improve outcomes.
“We are keen to see the recommendations in the report implemented as soon as possible to ensure that heart failure patients are receiving the best standard of care, wherever they live in England.”
Group chair Stuart Andrew MP said: “Many people with heart failure receive excellent care and there is a lot of good practice and service innovation across England. However many others do not receive the care that meets guidelines and this can have a considerable impact on their lives – often resulting in unnecessary early death.
“We hope that the recommendations in the report will make a real difference to people living with heart failure and will help the Government and NHS to meet some of their objectives around reducing hospital admissions at a time when cost-effectiveness has never been so important.”
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