‘A blaring siren’ chief calls for action to stop ‘needless deaths’

A leading heart charity has urged the Government to come up with a long-term plan to prevent people with cardiovascular conditions from “needlessly dying”. It comes after a report laid bare the stark reality of non-Covid related deaths since the pandemic. It said there have been 30,000 excess heart-related deaths since the dire coronavirus-induced conditions with the British Heart Foundation now telling Express.co.uk that the powers at Westminster need to come up with an urgent proposal to bolster the NHS workforce. This plea could not come at a more crucial time as 300,000 “overwhelmed” NHS heroes prepare to strike in a bid to secure better pay packets.Scores of healthcare professionals are demanding a 17 percent pay increase to help with the cost of living with the Royal College of Nursing set to reveal its ballot results in the coming days.Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about constant delays in emergency care for people suffering from strokes and heart attacks – when time is really not on their side. Ms Babu-Narayan told  Express.co.uk: ‘Whichever way you look at it, the message is the same: extreme and ongoing disruption for everyone with or at risk of cardiovascular diseases, despite the tireless efforts of NHS and ambulance service staff.’We continue to see vast and ever-growing numbers of people waiting for vital heart care such as diagnostic heart imaging tests, heart operations, and other time-sensitive heart procedures. We’re even seeing delays to emergency care for life-threatening heart attacks and strokes, where every minute matters.” The Government has been urged to come up with a workforce plan for the NHS (Image: Getty ) There has reportedly been 30,000 excess heart deaths since the pandemic (Image: Getty )Since the pandemic, there has been on average more than 230 extra deaths a week over and above levels usually expected with heart disease cases. The BHF warned that there are millions of “missing” heart patients, both diagnosed and undiagnosed.They may suffer with conditions such as high blood pressure and could potentially be at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Ms Babu-Narayan continued: “This is a blaring siren signalling that the health service is in crisis and it would have been unthinkable before the pandemic. Tragically, this colossal disruption at every stage of someone’s heart care is resulting in needless loss of life.’NHS staff are overwhelmed and overstretched, and they can’t do any more. That’s why we are asking Government to commit to a Heart Strategy that includes a fully funded workforce plan. This must set out how many specialist cardiac doctors, nurses and cardiac physiologists are needed, both to tackle the vast backlog of vital heart care and to deliver care for generations of future heart patients too. “It is also imperative that we invest in cardiovascular medical research and prevent the causes of ill health to stem the tide of cardiovascular disease for the generations to come.’READ MORE: National Grid unlocks ‘record breaking’ energy milestone NHS staff are reportedly seriously overwhelmed (Image: Getty ) Sunak said the NHS will be prioritised as he mulls over public spending cuts (Image: Getty )The Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto commitments included a provision of extra funding for the NHS, with a commitment to introduce 50,000 more nurses and 50 million more GP surgery appointments a year.But with a continued shortage of doctors and medics across the board, at primary and secondary care level, the problem remains unresolved. According to BMA, 130,000 posts in the secondary care sector are vacant.And with strike action now potentially on the cards, patients who rely on the crucial services of the NHS will wonder if their much-needed appointments will be delayed, or even cancelled.This is despite assurances emergency care will be unaffected. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden has said that that the NHS would prioritise the most essential services if strikes go ahead. DON’T MISS Mediaeval warrior with axe-split face brought back to life [REPORT] British Gas and E.on customers sent urgent warning over energy bills [INSIGHT] Covid origin theory blown open as China stockpiled West’s PPE [REVEAL]  NHS chiefs have called for £7bn in extra funding (Image: Getty )He said on Sky News: “We have well-oiled contingencies in place and the Department of Health is across how we would deal with a scenario like this should it arise. “We will make sure we prioritise the most essential services – emergency services and so on. But of course there would be an impact as a result of a strike like that.”This also comes after Mr Sunak and his Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that the Government will need to make public cuts as it faces “difficult decisions” on spending in the coming weeks.However, Mr Sunak has stressed that the NHS will take priority, telling other departments that they should expect cuts. NHS bosses say the system needs a £7billion cash injection to address the current issues such as waiting lists and backlogs.