Early diagnosis of people with heart failure, with prompt access to integrated services and specialist care, can help to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life and give people the opportunity to live well for longer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic acute and community Heart Failure services remain open and existing referral processes should be followed, for both diagnostic tests and referring patients with a confirmed diagnosis of heart failure who are unstable and/or at risk of hospital admission to specialist heart failure services for review.
The Heart Failure Diagnostic and Treatment Pathway (based on NICE guidance) was designed by Professor Ahmet Fuat, Darlington Primary Care Network and then edited for Primary Care by Sussex Health and Care Partnership Heart Failure Sub-group. It has been developed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic; patients with Heart Failure have been identified as being clinically vulnerable if they contract COVID-19.
The Primary Care HF Pathway has been made generic so any ICP or CCG in the country can adopt it and localise it by replacing the logos at the top of the front cover with their own.
For further information and / or to progress this for your area please contact:
Jen Bayly, CVD Programme Lead, KSS AHSN and SHCP, at jennifer.bayly@nhs.net
HeartFailurePathway – National Copy – No logo – Dec 2020
Primary Care Heart Failure Pathway – Sussex – Final Version – Dec 2020
