Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reintroduce an incentive scheme for the Vascular Peripheral Arterial Disease Quality Improvement Framework (1) to improve access to timely treatment, and (2) to prevent lower-limb amputations.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

NHS England introduced the Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, which was incentivised through a two-year scheme, from 2022 to 2024. This framework helps to ensure that patients across the country receive timely and effective interventions, such as revascularisation, by encouraging all providers to meet consistent standards of care. It aims to reduce variation in how quickly and effectively patients are treated, regardless of where they live.

There are no plans to update Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, but it remains an available resource that the National Health Service should have regard to.

The National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across NHS hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

There is no specific mandatory requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to publish routine data on PAD outcomes. However, ICBs are expected to contribute to data collection and reporting. Additionally, the Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practices to improve care for various conditions, including those related to cardiovascular health, which may indirectly impact PAD management.