New National Service Framework For Cardiac Arrhythmias

EDM number 850 in 2004-05, proposed by Rudi Vis on 08/03/2005.

That this House welcomes the publication of the new chapter of the national service framework for coronary heart disease focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias; acknowledges the hard work done by the Department of Health and other stakeholders in producing the document so quickly following its commissioning in May 2004; supports the Arrhythmia Alliance in disseminating the new chapter during Arrhythmia Awareness Week; recognises that the United Kingdom is well below the Western European average for the utilisation of treatments such as pacemakers and implantable defibrillators; further recognises that these treatments could help reduce hospital admissions for heart failure and falls in the elderly and prevent many of the 110,000 deaths each year from sudden cardiac death; and calls upon the Government to make the implementation of the chapter an absolute priority for NHS organisations, thus ensuring patients have rapid and equitable access to diagnosis and treatment of these distressing and potentially life threatening conditions.

This motion has been signed by a total of 94 MPs.