A retired teacher, Glynn Evans, 76, is among over 40,000 supporters of a campaign highlighting a severe heart care crisis in the UK. Evans experienced chest pain resembling indigestion while on holiday in Cornwall in April 2022. As his condition worsened, he and his wife called 999, but the ambulance did not arrive until the following morning.
Upon arrival at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Glynn discovered he was 24th in line among waiting ambulances. After a blood test, he learned he had suffered a heart attack, yet he wasn’t seen in the hospital until 2 PM the next day—approximately 18 hours after his wife’s initial call.
Delays in treating heart attacks can lead to severe consequences, including permanent disability or death. Before the pandemic, ambulance response times for suspected heart attacks averaged 18 minutes, but this has increased to 30 minutes due to increased demand. Alarmingly, this target has only been met once since May 2021.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has launched the “Hearts Need More” campaign to address the escalating waits for heart care, urging the government to prioritize heart and circulatory diseases. The campaign has garnered over 40,000 signatures from individuals affected by long waits for treatment.
Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the BHF, emphasized the urgency, stating, “Long waits for heart care put lives on the line.” She noted a concerning rise in early heart disease deaths and a significant backlog in planned heart care, which has nearly doubled since the pandemic.
Evans, now living with heart failure, expressed frustration over the delays and hopes no one else experiences such waits. The BHF is advocating for a comprehensive heart disease action plan from the government, focusing on prevention, timely treatment, and enhanced cardiovascular research.