- Aortic dissection takes the lives of 2,000 people a year in
Britain
- Government and NHS England to look at ways to tackle
condition
- Health Secretary pledges to build on strong work already
being done
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, , has unveiled measures to
tackle aortic dissection, a life-threatening heart condition that
kills 2,000 people every year.
Speaking at a research event to mark Aortic Dissection Awareness
Day, the Health Secretary announced the formation of an NHS
working group that will bring together clinical experts and
charities, to improve diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
The group will review the whole patient experience when it comes
to aortic dissections, and pinpoint opportunities for future
improvement, including the potential benefits of genetic testing.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said:
Aortic dissection can be a devastating condition and every year
it takes the lives of more people than die on our roads, yet
awareness is low. Changing that will save lives.
Developing a holistic approach, from identifying those
potentially at risk to providing first class follow-up care, will
be life-changing for patients and I’m delighted to be able to
build on the good work we’re already doing in this area.
I also want to pay tribute to the tireless work of my colleague
Pauline Latham whose campaigning to improve aortic dissection
care has kept this issue on the agenda.
The Health Secretary has asked for the working group to report
back with options within six months, and aortic dissection
charities will input into the work.
, who tragically lost her
son to an undiagnosed aortic dissection in 2018, has been a
leading voice in campaigning to improve the lives of sufferers
and their families, and met with the Secretary of State earlier
this year to discuss ways to improve aortic dissection care.
said:
In the wake of losing my son Ben to a missed diagnosis of aortic
dissection, I couldn’t sit back and let other families suffer the
way we have. That’s why Graham Cooper, Catherine Fowler and I
started The Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust.
We’ve been pushing hard - asking tough questions in Parliament,
meeting with health ministers, and I’m thrilled to say, we have
NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care on
board.
This will bring in standardised care, genetic screening, and
specialised nurses to not only save lives but improve quality of
life for everyone affected by this condition. It’s our heartfelt
mission to turn tragedy into a safer future for all.
The announcement builds on the progress made on aortic dissection
in recent years. NHS England adjusted 111 and 999’s triage
systems to better recognise chest pains caused by aortic
dissections and is rolling out the Aortic Dissection Acute
Toolkit across the regions to speed up diagnosis and improve
patient outcomes, while The Royal College of Emergency Medicine
has also published a best-practice guide to improve diagnosis in
emergency departments.
The Department of Health and Social Care is also funding
dedicated research into aortic dissection through the National
Institute for Health and Care Research, as part of an annual £50
million investment in cardiovascular disease research.
Researchers are developing a tool to help people at genetic risk
of aortic dissection decide if they want screening and, if
necessary, preventative treatment and this is just one of the
many exciting research projects under way across the country.
Background information
The remit of the working group will be to:
- continue to monitor and support the implementation of the
acute Aortic Dissection toolkit which has already been produced
by NHS England and is currently being rolled out to NHS providers
- review the whole aortic dissection patient pathway and
identify areas for improvement including the elective pathway
- explore the evidence and options for genetic screening
including potential cohorts for screening
- scope the clinical skills and workforce requirements to
support aortic dissection pathway improvement
