Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to include single point of access referral models for heart valve disease within future national service specifications, clinical guidance or strategic plans for cardiovascular disease services.

Emerging evidence from local services suggests Single Point of Access (SPoA) supports patients to receive rapid specialist assessments and a clear next step for their treatment by embedding a timely specialist clinical review at the start of the pathway, including for cardiology and cardiothoracic referrals. The model helps patients access the right clinic, diagnostic service, or care setting the first time, and averts the need for them to join lengthy hospital waiting lists unnecessarily, ensuring capacity is available for patients that need specialist care. We are also supporting the development and evaluation of streamlined referral pathways, including SPoA and rapid access valve assessment models, as part of wider cardiovascular pathway improvement work.

As set out in the Medium Term Planning Framework all providers are, from April 2026, expected to prioritise Advice and Guidance (A&G) requests for at least 10 specialties, selected locally for the greatest overall benefit, ahead of ensuring all appropriate requests and referrals flow through a SPoA model from October 2026. Providers are expected to begin implementation of SPoA by prioritising the 10 specialties selected for A&G. The specialties selected by providers could include cardiology or cardiothoracic surgery, which would cover care for heart valve disease.

Technical guidance has been issued to providers outlining expectations to support SPoA implementation. There are currently no specific plans to mandate SPoA in national service specifications. However, we are developing a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework, due to be published shortly, which will support the adoption of evidence‑based pathway improvements.