Wednesday 24th November 2021
Statement by Steve McCabe MP, Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group on Heart Valve Disease: "I am delighted to see that NICE has today published its long-awaited guidelines on the investigation and management of heart valve disease. I very much hope that this will make a real difference to all heart valve disease patients, both now and in the future, and will see more of them receive the gold standard of care that they deserve.
Earlier this year, myself and colleagues from the APPG on Heart Valve Disease were privileged to have heard some extremely moving accounts from inspiring individuals, who have been impacted by this common, serious, but treatable condition. Their testimonies, alongside those of healthcare professionals and charities, made it very clear that more needed to be done to improve patient outcomes and experience. As such, they helped the APPG to identify clear recommendations as to how the NHS can deliver the best possible care to heart valve disease patients as it begins its recovery from the pandemic.
We therefore welcome the new guidelines and are pleased to see that some of our recommendations have been included in the final version. However, the hard work does not stop here. The guidelines are an important first step, but now we must focus our collective attention and efforts on their implementation. The APPG will be monitoring progress with great interest.
On behalf of the APPG, I would like to thank all those who attended our evidence sessions, and contributed their experiences and expertise to our response. Your candid testimony will continue to inform the future work of the APPG.
Heart valve disease patient, Angie Martin, said “I was asked to attend the evidence sessions to discuss my experience of heart valve disease, and despite some nerves, I was honoured to give my testimony to the MPs. Seeing how my experience has helped shape the final guidelines is a source of immense pride for me. In particular knowing that my experience of the mental health challenges has helped shape mental health support for future valve disease patients is something that will live long in my mind. Thank you the APPG for inviting me to the sessions, and for their hard work in supporting heart valve disease patients.”
