 said ambulance delays, inaccessible care and waits for surgery are linked to 30,000 excess cardiac deaths in England.It has called for a new strategy to reduce "unacceptable" waiting times.The government has said it is investing another £500m to ease pressure on ambulances and boost hospital capacity.The BHF said its analysis suggests 395,000 people in England could be on a waiting list for a heart test or procedure by April 2023 based on current trends, up from 224,000 before the start of the Covid pandemic. In August, Phil Moore, a former professional skier, had a heart attack as he was walking to his car after a shopping trip. The 50-year-old from Kent said: "It came on very suddenly, with no warning, and I felt very, very sick."He rang 999 twice but said he had to wait about 40 minutes for an ambulance as he faded in and out of consciousness. "You worry about it afterwards but at that stage, all your focus is just on surviving," he said. Paramedics arrived and took Mr Moore, who used to work for the BHF, to an emergency cardiac unit in Ashford for angioplasty - a procedure that widens a blocked artery so blood can flow more easily. "It was very scary, because it goes through your mind that I want to speak to my wife again, I want to speak to my children again, but you don't know if you're going to."Doctors and groups representing patients have become increasingly concerned about the high number of deaths of any cause recorded this year. Data from the Office for National Statistics suggests the overall number was 17% higher in England than would have been expected in the week ending 21 October, based on the average for previous years.Some of that rise can still be explained by Covid, which was mentioned on 523 death certificates in England over the week of 14 Oc){kind=link}
Extreme disruption to NHS services has been driving a sharp spike in heart disease deaths since the start of the pandemic, a charity has warned.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said ambulance delays, inaccessible care and waits for surgery are linked to 30,000 excess cardiac deaths in England.
It has called for a new strategy to reduce “unacceptable” waiting times.
The government has said it is investing another £500m to ease pressure on ambulances and boost hospital capacity.
The BHF said its analysis suggests 395,000 people in England could be on a waiting list for a heart test or procedure by April 2023 based on current trends, up from 224,000 before the start of the Covid pandemic.