Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework will include standards for the early diagnosis and referral of peripheral arterial disease in primary care, including the routine use of ankle-brachial index and Doppler testing for patients presenting with lower-limb pain.

The Department has published a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF), which prioritises ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, supporting consistent and equitable access across the CVD pathway. This modern service framework can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

We welcome the report of the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Department and NHS England have engaged widely with stakeholders, such as the Stroke Association and Heart UK, to co-produce the CVD MSF and ensure we consider the role of emerging innovations across the CVD pathway.

NHS England has not undertaken a specific national assessment of the availability or routine use of ankle-brachial index testing or Doppler ultrasound in primary care for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease.

The National Vascular Registry collects information relating to vascular procedures and patient outcomes to support service improvement and quality assurance within vascular services. However, it does not routinely report national data on diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, or the number of healthcare contacts prior to diagnosis.