Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the care and treatment for heart valve disease patients.

Heart valve disease (HVD) care in the United Kingdom has made strides in addressing treatment gaps, yet challenges such as late diagnosis, health disparities, and regional variations in care persist. NHS England is driving initiatives to improve pathways, reduce inequalities, and enhance access to timely and equitable care, while also addressing broader elective care pressures.

Significant progress is being made in the care and treatment of HVD patients in the UK. NHS England has established an expert advisory group to drive targeted pathway improvement projects, aiming to reduce referral-to-treatment times for severe valvular disease in 2024/25. Referral rates for cardiac rehabilitation have improved notably, rising from 7% in 2019 to 15% in 2024. Over 80% of heart failure patients consistently receive care from specialist teams, reflecting steady progress in specialist access.

Efforts to address health inequalities are also advancing, including a review of disparities in the presentation and treatment of conditions like aortic stenosis, and updates to primary care eLearning to improve early diagnosis. These strides demonstrate our commitment to improving outcomes in HVD care.