More than 300,000 people in England alone are waiting for heart treatment as a new report outlined the "collateral damage" the Covid pandemic has caused to cardiac services. Doctors warned that cases of heart disease - already Britain's biggest killer - are likely to increase as a result of the backlog caused by Covid.
An "urgent recovery plan" to help already "overwhelmed" cardiac services in England deal with the increasing number of people who now need treatment is needed, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Researchers found that in the two years from December 2019 when health systems around the world were under extreme pressure amid fears of catching Covid, people suffering a heart attack or heart failure either stayed away or could not get admitted to a hospital.
The study describes a “substantial global decline” in hospital admissions of people suffering from cardiovascular disease. As a result, the number of people dying at home or in the community from heart conditions increased.
