Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that those most at risk of heart failure have immediate access to primary care services for the (1) diagnosis, and (2) monitoring, of their condition.

Multi-disciplinary teams within Primary Care Networks provide greater access to echocardiography to investigate the symptoms of patients with breathlessness and accelerate the early detection of heart failure and heart valve disease.

We have committed to creating an additional 50 million appointments a year in general practice by increasing and diversifying the primary care workforce. This will improve access for patients, including those at risk from heart failure and ensure staff can provide a range of care options for patients outside of hospital.