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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

‘Deeply concerning’ inequalities in NHS heart valve surgery, report finds

Surgeons at work in an operating theatre, with pulse trace machine in foreground
The researchers analysed data from hospital episode statistics from April 2016 to the end of March 2019. Photograph: simonkr/Getty Images

Patients who are female, black, Asian or less well-off are significantly less likely to be offered heart valve surgery on the NHS in England, according to a report that experts say is “deeply concerning”.

People develop aortic stenosis when their aortic valve narrows as a result of calcium buildup, impeding normal blood flow. This causes shortness of breath, light headedness and chest pain.

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