Page Last updated 14-10-2010
The core strategy that relates to cardiovascular disease management is the National Service Framework (NSF) published in 2000. As a result of the implementation of the NSF we already have had a significant improvement – a 40% reduction in cardiovascular deaths in people under 75 since 1996. As indicated by the NSFs and the recent announcement by DOH on the vascular screening programme, the emphasis is increasingly towards the prevention of CVD.
Robust evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness suggests that there is an enormous potential to prevent premature death by focusing on those at high risk for developing vascular disease. The following key strategies have determined the CVD prevention programme locally:
Evidence shows that proactive case finding linked with appropriate pharmaceutical management and therapeutic lifestyle interventions provide significant benefits to those individuals who are most vulnerable. DoH policy and guidance documents places the key responsibility on commissioners and providers to ensure that robust vascular risk assessments and cardio-vascular disease (CVD) pathways are in place to deliver the NHS Health Checks.