Heart failure
More than 500,000 people in the UK live with Heart failure (HF). HF is caused by abnormalities in the structure and function of the heart which prevent the heart pumping blood around the body as effectively as it should. The incidence of HF increases steeply with age and the number of patients with HF is expected to rise over the next 20 years due to an ageing population and increasing survival rates following heart attack.
Why is it a priority?
Despite advances in treatment, mortality is high with around 30-40% of patients dying within a year of diagnosis. HF can also have a major impact on quality of life with patients experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue and fluid retention. However, evidence has shown that with evidence-based therapies, input from HF specialists and lifestyle changes many people can have a good quality of life.
HF care accounts for 1-2% of the total NHS budget with the majority of this relating to the cost of hospitalisation. Five per cent of all emergency admissions are due to HF.
What are we doing?
The Oxford AHSN is working with Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to deliver ‘Excellence in Heart Failure’. This project aims to improve the coding of HF registries in GP practices and to identify patients who are not being treated optimally. Where patients are not found to be receiving optimal treatment they will either be reviewed in primary care or referred to a heart failure specialist as appropriate.
The aim of the project is to improve quality of life for patients and reduce unplanned admissions for heart failure.
Who are we working with?
Excellence in Heart Failure is delivered through a joint working agreement between the Oxford AHSN and Novartis.
Contact Details
Hannah Oatley, Clinical Innovation Adoption Manager. [email protected]
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