Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Heart and Circulatory Diseases: Premature Deaths

22 February 2024 · 8 other contributors

Opened by Dean Russell Con Watford

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Dean Russell raised concerns about heart and circulatory diseases: premature deaths in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • MP opened debate with personal experience of heart attack at age 47
  • Statistics shared: over 39,000 people in England died prematurely from cardiovascular conditions in 2022
  • Minister discussed Government initiatives like NHS health checks and smokefree generation initiative

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Dean Russell Con Watford

The MP opened the debate by sharing his personal experience of having a heart attack at age 47, emphasising the importance of awareness and early identification. He highlighted statistics showing that over 39,000 people in England died prematurely from cardiovascular conditions in 2022 alone, amounting to approximately 750 deaths per week. Russell called for urgent action, including prioritising heart care within the NHS, addressing modifiable risk factors such as obesity and smoking, and investing in research and development.

Other contributors (8)
  • Mark Tami Lab Alyn and Deeside

    Tami expressed his gratitude for the support provided by Harefield Hospital to his son who had a heart transplant. He also stressed that heart conditions can affect young people, urging against lazy diagnoses based on age.

  • Andrew Bridgen Con North West Leicestershire

    The hon. Member for North West Leicestershire expressed his appreciation towards the hon. Member for Watford for securing this debate, highlighting the rise in cardiovascular deaths since 2019 as a startling statistic and expressing concern over the impact of cardiac disease.

  • Philip Davies Con Shipley

    The hon. Member for Shipley congratulated his friend on securing the debate, highlighted ongoing excess deaths in young and middle-aged adults since the pandemic, raised concerns about a potential link between covid-19 vaccines and cardiovascular events among healthy individuals, and requested the release of anonymised mortality data alongside vaccination details to assess any causality.

  • Karin Smyth Lab Bristol South

    I thank the Backbench Business Committee and pay tribute to Dean Russell for his speech. Cardiovascular disease affects both individuals and their families, with an average of 750 premature deaths weekly in 2022 due to cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks and strokes. NHS England reports that one in four premature deaths in the UK is caused by cardiovascular diseases, and the rate has risen for three consecutive years. There are significant backlogs in cardiology treatment, with waiting lists rising sharply by 189% over ten years according to the Institute for Public Policy Research. Labour proposes a 10-year plan including doubling the number of scanners to speed up diagnosis, incentivising continuity of care in general practice, and reducing deaths from heart attacks and strokes by a quarter within 10 years. The party also aims to restore constitutional waiting-time targets and tackle inequalities exacerbated by cardiovascular disease, particularly in deprived areas.

  • Dean Russell Con Watford

    Emphasised the need for transparency in data, protection through education, and highlighted the importance of breaking through with research. Encouraged individuals to get checked if they have any symptoms or concerns.

  • Andrea Leadsom Con South Northamptonshire

    Discussed the Government's strategy for preventing cardiovascular disease, including the NHS health check programme and the CVD prevention recovery plan. Mentioned initiatives such as the smokefree generation initiative and investments in digital NHS health checks. Addressed risk management, public awareness campaigns, community defibrillator access, mental health support integration, and community diagnostic centres.

  • Andrew Bridgen Con North West Leicestershire

    Contributed to the debate but his specific contribution is not detailed in the provided text.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Raised thoughtful remarks and concerns about cardiovascular disease, contributing positively to the discussion on prevention strategies.

Government Response

Government Minister

Discussed the Government's strategy for preventing cardiovascular disease, including initiatives such as the NHS health check programme and the smokefree generation initiative. Mentioned investments in digital NHS health checks, risk management, public awareness campaigns, community defibrillator access, mental health support integration, and community diagnostic centres.

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