Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to improve heart failure outcomes within (a) Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and (b) England.

In Greater Manchester, the Smart Hearts project was launched in 2019, which uses an algorithm to monitor the data transmitted from implantable cardiac devices to monitor any early signs of deterioration. A business case has been developed to increase the specialist heart failure workforce in Greater Manchester to meet projected demand.

In England, the National Health Service is investing in cardiac networks to support improvements to the care pathway for patients with severe aortic stenosis. These networks have been developed to take an evidenced based, clinically led, whole pathway approach to improvement from prevention, diagnosis, treatment and end of life care.

We have committed £2.3 billion to launch at least 100 community diagnostic centres by 2024/25 to improve the early detection and diagnosis of heart valve disease in England and reduce patient waiting times.