Heart helpline doubles number of nurses to cope with demand
A rising demand from people needing support for a heart condition has led the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to double the number of cardiac nurses working on its helpline, the charity has said.
The charity reports that the number of calls to its Heart Helpline was 40% higher between December 2023 and February 2024 than over the same period 12 months earlier, reaching an all-time record number of 7,858 contacts.
“More people than ever are in desperate need of support”
Chloe MacArthur
And in February 2024 the number of people calling, emailing or making live chat enquiries was 75% higher than in February 2023.
The charity said that many people contacting the helpline had raised concerns at not being able to get a diagnosis or an appointment for a heart problem, or because they had new or changing symptoms.
The latest figures from NHS England showed that cardiac waiting lists rose to more than 408,000 in England at the end of January 2024, which was 76% greater than in January 2020.
Four out of 10 people on waiting lists for cardiac care in January 2024 were waiting over 18 weeks while the number of people waiting over a year was 10,304.
BHF helpline nurse lead Chloe MacArthur said that the Heart Helpline had “never been busier”.
“More people than ever are in desperate need of support – whether they have a heart problem or want to help someone who does,” Ms MacArthur said.
She said that it was “concerning” that so many people were facing stressful and often frightening delays to their time-sensitive heart care.
“Just last month, someone told us they are facing a 72-week wait for heart surgery, which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago,” Ms MacArthur said.
“We’re also hearing that people are putting off seeking help because they don’t know the symptoms of potentially life-threatening heart and circulatory conditions,” she added.
“We are here to help anyone who wants answers during these uncertain times. We’ve got more nurses available to work on our helpline, so we’re ready to support anyone by phone, email or live chat.”
