Hundreds of patients suffering from a serious heart valve condition are dying every year while stuck on NHS waiting lists, due to long delays in accessing a vital, non-surgical treatment, new research reveals.
Aortic stenosis (AS) affects around 300,000 people in the UK. This silent but potentially fatal condition causes the narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve, restricting blood flow and putting the heart under extreme pressure. If diagnosed and treated early, patients often make a full recovery. However, delays in accessing the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedure are proving deadly.
A nationwide survey of TAVI waiting times has found that more than 400 patients with AS die each year before receiving treatment. The findings highlight a significant shortfall in access to this life-saving procedure within the NHS, especially when compared with other European nations.
Dr Jon Byrne, a cardiologist at King’s College Hospital who led the research, said the mortality rate among those awaiting TAVI is unacceptably high. He reported that 8% of patients on waiting lists died before treatment – equating to over 400 preventable deaths annually. He believes the real figure could be closer to 800, as only half of the UK’s 35 specialist centres submitted data.
The study, conducted by the medical group Valve for Life, uncovered further alarming details:
• TAVI waiting times average 142 days across the UK, despite a 50% risk of death among patients with severe AS.
• Some hospitals reported mortality rates of up to 20% among those waiting for TAVI.
• White patients are more likely to receive TAVI than those from minority ethnic backgrounds, highlighting health inequality concerns.
AS primarily affects older adults in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, making swift access to care critical. Delays not only cost lives but also lead to avoidable hospital admissions and place further pressure on NHS resources.
Writing in *Cardiology News*, Dr Byrne and Wil Woan, executive director of the charity Heart Valve Voice, called for urgent reforms. They emphasised that current system inefficiencies, capacity limitations and health disparities are putting thousands of lives at risk.
Woan pointed out that the UK lags behind other European countries in the number of TAVI procedures performed, despite its proven ability to restore health and independence to those living with AS.
NHS England is reportedly developing a fast-track system to ensure the most urgent AS cases undergo TAVI within eight weeks, in an effort to reduce preventable deaths.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Clinical Director at the British Heart Foundation, echoed concerns, warning that prolonged delays could lead to avoidable deaths, long-term ill health, and economic hardship due to loss of work from heart failure.
Currently, nearly four in ten heart patients wait more than 18 weeks for treatment – a timeframe she describes as dangerously long for conditions requiring timely intervention.
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the delays, stating that it is taking steps to reform the NHS through increased investment and improved services. Officials have promised that reforms under the government’s Plan for Change will support faster access to care, including TAVI, and help the NHS recover from years of pressure.
