Half a million missed out on heart drugs during pandemic

A new study suggests that during the pandemic, nearly half a million people in the UK missed out on starting medication to help prevent strokes and heart attacks.

 

The British Heart Foundation looked at prescribing data for the first 18 months after Covid hit.

 

Around 491,000 people, 27,000 a month, appear to have missed out on blood pressure pills and 316,000 did not receive treatment to lower their cholesterol.

 

During the pandemic, routine NHS services were severely disrupted, including a reduction in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of high blood pressure, and other heart and circulation disease risk factors.

 

Although the NHS took action, including providing more than 220,000 blood pressure monitors for home use, data shows two million fewer people in England were recorded as having controlled hypertension in 2021 compared to the previous year.

 

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, consultant cardiologist and the British Heart Foundation’s associate medical director, said “Yet again, we’re seeing clear evidence of the major disruption to healthcare people in the UK experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

“But it’s not too late to limit the damage.  These findings demonstrate how getting heart healthcare back on track can curb the additional strain that untreated risk factors – such as high blood pressure – would otherwise place on the NHS.”

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

 

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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