Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address inequalities in access to cardiovascular care, and how those actions will be reflected in the development on a new modern service framework for cardiovascular disease.

This Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke and halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions of England. The National Institute for Health and Care Research has launched the ‘Inequalities Challenge’ for cardiovascular disease (CVD), investing £50 million into innovative new research to tackle preventable premature mortality from CVD and reduce inequalities across the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Elective Reform Plan identified cardiology as one of the main priority specialities for significant reform, including increasing specialist cardiology input earlier in patient care pathways, and improving access to cardiac diagnostic tests. These improvements will help standardise patient care, reduce inequalities and improve access to all stages of CVD care for patients across England.

The 10-Year Health Plan will help us to accelerate progress in addressing inequalities in access to CVD prevention and care by prioritising ambitious, evidence-led and clinically informed approaches. In 2026, we will publish a new CVD Modern Service Framework which will support consistent, high quality, equitable care and foster innovation across the CVD pathway.