In England there have been significant improvements in mortality rates for coronary heart disease (CHD) with an early mortality rate per 100,000 of 42.4. Within the South West the mortality rate is 34.8. The prevalence of coronary heart disease within the South West SCN region is 3.4% compared to 3.3% across England (Cardiovascular Disease Profile, Public Health England, August 2014).
The SW CV SCN is working towards making improvements in cardiac care and ensuring NICE guidelines and quality standards are being followed in providing treatment to reduce mortality rates and improve the quality of life for patients with CHD.
The work programme includes cardiac surgery as a main focus with the aim of the work to reduce the number of non elective cardiac surgery cases being performed out of area which are due to lack of capacity rather than patient choice.
A Task & Finish group has been established to carry out this work which will include:
- the development of a South West Inter Hospital Transfer policy
o agreed waiting time standards
o mandated minimum referral criteria
- implementation of electronic referral system
- audit data and agreed monitoring requirements
A further priority for the SW CV SCN is improving the management of patients with heart failure. Chronic heart failure is common affecting at least 530,000 people in England and in 2012/2013 there were 5,578 admissions for people with heart failure across the SW (HES). Patients with heart failure often have a poor quality of life with over a third of people diagnosed with chronic heart failure will dying within a year. While it is largely a disease of older age, with good clinical management, patient outcomes can be substantially improved and the network is promoting the use of the GRASP HF audit tool within primary care which is aimed at case finding and optimising the management of patients.
Heart failure is also part of the Opportunities for Preventing Admissions project (OPRA) which is linking the whole patient pathway across primary and secondary care to ensure that patients receive optimal care for their heart failure.
