Jo Webber, deputy director of the NHS Confederation, said:

"This is a useful piece of research which shows where NHS organisations need to improve in the provision of services for heart failure patients. These are often extremely ill patients and heart disease remains the most common cause of death in England.

"Making sure those in the most need receive appropriate care requires some form of planning on a regional basis so that even if the most specialised services are not available immediately nearby, things are in place to make sure patients are treated properly.

"Having specialised regional units in place to treat those with heart failure is only part of the solution for improving care. Effective preventative public health initiatives must be an integral part of reducing the burden of heart disease amongst local populations."

Source:
NHS Confederation