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CHD Deaths Down But Morbidity And Disability Increase

Thursday 19 July 2007

A leading medical charity has criticised the 7-year delay in establishing a Service Framework for Heart Disease in Northern Ireland. In 2000 Tony Blair put huge resources into a National Service Framework (NSF) for heart disease in England. This has brought huge benefits to the quality of service in England.

A leading medical charity has criticised the 7-year delay in establishing a Service Framework for Heart Disease in Northern Ireland. In 2000 Tony Blair put huge resources into a National Service Framework (NSF) for heart disease in England. This has brought huge benefits to the quality of service in England.

However, when NI Chest Heart & Stroke in 2002 asked the then Northern Ireland Health Minister to establish such a framework here, the request was rejected.

In the last few weeks steps have now been put in place to establish such a service in Northern Ireland.

Andrew Dougal, Chief Executive of NI Chest Heart & Stroke said, "Tony Blair realised the importance of health in England in terms of electoral outcomes. Without a local Assembly in Northern Ireland there was no such electoral sensitivity to the health needs of the population.

It is gratifying that in Northern Ireland we are now benefiting from the positive steps which have been achieved in combating heart disease in Manchester. Health Service staff from Manchester have been advising on improvements to the situation here."

"The good news is that CHD deaths in both men and women under 75 years of age in Northern Ireland have been slashed by 71% since 1986. However, it does mean that many more people in later life may encounter heart failure. It is important that community support services for heart failure patients are put in place in every part of Northern Ireland.

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