Heart Information

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Heart Information

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a preventable disease which causes the premature deaths of more than 9,000 people in Scotland every year.

CHD is one of the most common causes of death in Scotland. Throughout the country the prevalence of the associated risk factors (e.g. smoking, diet and physical inactivity) is high and around 8.2% of men and 6.5% of women are living with coronary heart disease.

There has been a reduction of almost 40% in deaths from CHD in the last 10 years (to 2007). However CHD remains a priority area for the Scottish Government. There is a national target of a 60% reduction in premature deaths from coronary heart disease in the 15 years up to 2010.

The rates of heart failure are currently increasing. Social isolation is one of the most marked features of advanced heart failure. There is now an estimated 100,000 people in Scotland who are living with this disabling, long–term condition.

Scottish campaign for cardiac rehabilitation

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is running a joint campaign (with British Heart Foundation Scotland) which demands that cardiac rehabilitation must be fully recognised as being central to the treatment and care of heart patients. By the end of 2010, every heart patient must have access to a high quality cardiac rehabilitation programme.

The Better Heart Disease and Stroke Care Action Plan highlighted the campaign as a key action point to be achieved by the end of March 2010.

Heart failure services in Scotland

A review of specialist heart failure services in Scotland, published in the autumn of 2008 by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and the British Heart Foundation (on behalf of the Scottish Heart Failure Nurse Forum) highlighted areas in need of resources and investment to meet the rising number of those requiring specialist support.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland offers a heart failure support service in NHS Lothian, Lanarkshire, Greater Glasgow & Clyde and the Western Isles. This service is due to expand throughout Scotland.

The Scottish Government launched the Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure Strategy (SNAHFS) in February 2011. This aims to enhance the care and treatment of people living with heart failure across the country. The strategy identifies clear priorities including:

• Improving access to specialist expertise through outreach arrangements to local hospitals and communities to ensure consistent, equitable, Scotland–wide referrals for those with the most advanced heart failure
• Increasing the number of heart transplants
• Enhancing the current Scottish mechanical heart service (Ventricular Assist Devices) at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital

A summary of the SNAHFS is available to download (see related documents).

Better heart disease and stroke care action plan

The Scottish Government's new 'Better Heart Disease and Stroke Care Action Plan' was launched on 29th June 2009.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland were heavily involved in the first CHD and Stroke Strategy, launched in 2002 and revised in 2004. This produced major improvements in the treatment of heart disease and stroke, particularly in acute services, where Scotland now has some of the best services in the UK.

The new action plan aims to offer comprehensive coverage of all the issues relating to heart disease and stroke. It sets out a clear list of focused pieces of work for taking forward the next phase of the work in tackling the burden of heart disease and stroke in Scotland.

Clinical standards for heart disease

In 2010 a set of clinical standards for heart disease were produced by NHS QIS (now Healthcare Improvement Scotland). These standards, which are now available for NHS boards throughout Scotland, address:

• variations in current practice
• identified quality gaps

The clinical standards for heart disease are based on published evidence and best practice. They address the whole patient journey and focus on those areas which would result in improvement in care and experience for patients with heart disease and their family / carer.

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