Buckinghamshire NHS Trust gains funding for expansion of cardiovascular disease prevention programme
The Buckinghamshire NHS Trust has announced it received funding to expand its project aiming to help prevent cardiovascular diseases.
A new programme has been launched by the trust to treat a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes within the county.
Funding for the scheme has come from the British Heart Foundation and the trust has described the programme as a novel population health
approach to lipid management.
Called the ‘Lipid Accelerator Programme’ its aim is to tackle high cholesterol – one of the biggest causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as heart attacks and strokes. The trust says CVD is one of the major contributors to the health inequalities in the county – namely the gap in life expectancy between people living in the most deprived areas and those living in the wealthiest areas of Buckinghamshire.
Clinicians will use the tool and NHS databases to identify eligible patients with raised cholesterol levels and a history of cardiovascular disease. Following a consultation with a clinician, eligible patients will be offered a personalised treatment plan, including a range of medications aimed at rapidly reducing their cholesterol levels and their risk of having a further heart attack or stroke, the trust reveals.
A spokesperson added: “Each patient identified will have previously suffered a heart attack or ischaemic stroke (caused by a blockage cutting off the blood supply to the brain) and been struggling to control their cholesterol levels with medications from their GP or primary care team.”
They also noted that some patients will have been unable to take medications due to intolerable side effects.
Andrew McLaren, chief medical officer at the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to be working with the British Heart Foundation and a range of local partners, as we accelerate our work to prevent future illness in line with the NHS 10-year plan. Our aim is to deliver clinical review and treatments for high cholesterol at a speed and scale that would not be possible through either primary or secondary care alone, which we know will prevent heart attacks and strokes across Buckinghamshire.”
Residents in Buckinghamshire who have previously suffered a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular event, have high cholesterol and are currently on or being offered cholesterol lowering medication, are invited to an NHS-hosted focus group session on March 11. This will provide opportunities for patients to provide feedback on their cholesterol, heart health and medication experiences. For more details residents can contact the trust via email or by calling 01296 315231.
Dr Mark Johnson, associate medical director for population health and prevention, added: “Buckinghamshire is leading the way with our innovative population health approach to cholesterol, bringing together healthcare colleagues to create new models of care. Our collaboration with the British Heart Foundation will allow us to see patients faster and more efficiently than traditional healthcare models.”
Judy O'Sullivan, Director of Innovation in Health Programmes at the British Heart Foundation, said: Thanks to the generosity of our supporters,
we're pleased to be funding this new programme to help patients in Buckinghamshire lower their cholesterol levels.”