The Chief Executive of the NHS, Amanda Pritchard, has announced a deal on a lifesaving treatment, expanding the health service’s use of drugs designed to stop blood clots. This deal will see more patients having access to treatment which could prevent 21,700 strokes and 5,400 deaths.
The usual treatment to prevent blood clots requires patients to attend their GP or hospital regularly, but with the introduction of these new drugs, patients will only be required to go to hospital once a year.
Helen Williams, NHS England National Speciality Adviser for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, said: “Not only is stroke one of the biggest killers in our country, but it leads to life-changing and often devastating long-term harm for many others, so by ensuring these drugs are made available for all people with atrial fibrillation who are at risk of stroke, the NHS will not only prevent serious harm to the people affected, but avoid the need for aftercare which puts additional pressure on the health service.”
The drugs prevent strokes by treating and preventing blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. The NHS will now dramatically scale up the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), with as many as 610,000 more patients benefitting from the deal over the next three years, starting from January 2022. This agreement and the use of these drugs expands the NHS Long Term Plan commitment to tackle strokes and other cardiovascular disease
“The agreements struck by NHS England will save thousands of lives and prevent many more people suffering the debilitating effects of strokes by making this treatment available to hundreds of thousands more patients,” said NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard stated at the NHS Providers conference. “The health service now has a proven track record of striking deals with manufacturers to ensure patients in England get cutting-edge care at a price which offers best value for taxpayers.”
