BARROW MP Simon Fell met with British Heart Foundation at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester to discuss urgent action to address the pandemic’s impact on heart care.

A new report from the foundation has estimated that 1,111 people in Morecambe Bay could be waiting for life-saving heart diagnosis and treatment two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

That is 30.2 per cent higher than the waiting list before the pandemic began.

Mr Fell heard the BHF is calling for Government to take action to reduce the heart care backlog and build a stronger NHS for the future.

During the party conference, he met with the BHF’s policy team to discuss the case for building a more resilient health system to save more lives from heart and circulatory diseases for years to come.

“It was eye-opening to speak with the BHF at the Conservative Party Conference about the significant disruption to vital heart care during the pandemic and what will be needed to urgently address this," he said.

“A clear plan, alongside significant and ongoing investment, is vital to build capacity back into the health service and relieve the pressure on our local NHS trust.

"I pledge to work with the BHF to ensure this is a top priority for the Government.”

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Every number on a waiting list is a loved one facing a potentially agonising wait for care that could save or improve their life.

“Vital heart tests and surgery can’t be put off - long delays lead to debilitating anxiety and put people’s lives at risk.

"The voices of people with heart and circulatory diseases must be heard as the Government considers the action needed to tackle both the mounting backlog in cardiovascular care and the pandemic’s wider impact on vital heart treatment.”