DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release (2007/0098) issued by The Government News Network on 30
April 2007
Leading clinical
experts map progress made by NHS
In four new reports launched today at a special King's Fund
event attended by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the Health
Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, leading clinical experts have set out
the progress made for patients in key areas of NHS service over
the past decade.
In 1997, the UK was widely regarded as the coronary heart disease
capital of the world, with high mortality rates, poor access to
care and services stagnating. Since then, thanks to record
investment and improvement in services the NHS has saved more than
100,000 extra lives from heart disease. Now, nobody is waiting
more than three months for heart surgery, compared to hundreds of
patients waiting over a year, and some waiting over two years ten
years ago.
The report 'Coronary Heart Disease Ten Years On: Improving
Heart Health' by Roger Boyle, National Clinical Director for
Heart Disease and Stroke, also shows that nearly 10,000 lives are
being saved each year through the increased use of statins, and
that premature deaths from circulatory disease (CHD, stroke and
related diseases) in people under 75 have now fallen by almost 36%
in the past decade, meaning the NHS is expected to meet the target
of a 40% reduction by 2010, at least two years early.
In 'Emergency Care Ten Years On: Reforming Emergency
Care', National Director for Emergency Access, Professor Sir
George Alberti, has highlighted the transformation of A&E
services, with record investment and innovative new ways of
working resulting in an end to the long delays patients used to
experience. Now the focus is on encouraging health communities to
deliver appropriate and timely emergency care, wherever and
whenever patients need it.
Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director, describes
cancer services in 1997 that were not meeting the needs of
patients, with survival rates lagging behind other Western
European countries and unacceptably long waits for diagnosis and
treatment. 'Cancer Ten Years On: Improvements across the
whole care pathway' shows how investment and reform has meant
improvements in screening, diagnostics, treatment and care. By
delivering better treatment to more people than ever before,
50,000 extra lives have been saved in the past decade, meaning we
are on target to meet our target of a reduction of at least 20% in
cancer deaths by 2010.
Professor Louis Appleby, National Clinical Lead for Mental
Health, maps the 10-year programme of reform of mental health care
in 'Ten Years On: Progress on Mental Health Care
Reform'. Increased annual investment of over £1.5bn has
resulted in 700 new mental health teams in the community,
increases in all main staff groups, increased patient satisfaction
and record falls in suicide rates, meaning that the World Health
Organisation now rates England's mental health services as
the 'best in Europe'.
Commenting on the progress made, Health Secretary, Patricia
Hewitt, said:
"We have improved care across the board by ending the era of
uniform, monolithic provision in the NHS, putting patients and
their needs in the driving seat. While a decade ago the very
survival of the NHS was questioned, now the debate centres on the
quality of the care offered.
"We have invested to reflect the changes in health care
which means a greater demand for specialist care in centres of
excellence but more scope as well for local services through the
extension of community facilities. We have put new incentives into
the system and devolved power to the front-line and communities to
continue accelerating progress.
"Thanks to the hard work of staff, high quality care on the
NHS is no longer the preserve of the lucky or the well connected
but genuinely universal, still free at the point of use and
focussed on those who need it most."
The King's Fund event will feature a breakfast discussion
with the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary, which will
consider the impact of ten years of investment and reform in
health and health services, and the challenges that lie ahead.
There will be contributions from four perspectives in the health service:
- Nigel Edwards, Policy Director, NHS Confederation
- Dr Peter Carter OBE, General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing
- Jim Johnson, Chair, British Medical Association
- David Pink, Chief Executive, Long-term Medical Conditions Alliance
Notes For Editors
1. The four reports can all be accessed at http://www.dh.gov.uk from 12pm on
Sunday 29 April
[ENDS]
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