Heart failure patients receive faster treatment at home
Patients with heart failure are getting the right medication more quickly and with fewer hospital visits, thanks to an innovative service developed at Barts Health.
The Structured Titration and Rapid Treatment for Heart Failure (STaRT-HF) service was established by consultant cardiologists Dr Christopher Primus and Dr Debashish Das. It helps patients get onto the right combination of medicines sooner, with their progress monitored remotely.
Heart failure affects more than one million people in the UK, and finding the right combination and doses of medication can take months. STaRT-HF aims to get patients started on key medicines within two weeks and onto the full range of recommended treatments within six weeks.
Patients submit daily blood pressure and heart rate readings through a secure online platform. Pharmacists review the results and adjust medication where needed, involving doctors if there are concerns. Patients can have blood tests at their local hospital and collect prescriptions from a nearby pharmacy. The approach supports the NHS’s ambition to provide more care closer to home.
Michael Perkins, 51, was diagnosed with heart failure last year, despite believing he was fit and healthy. He said the speed of treatment “helped me mentally” and was relieved to avoid a hospital stay.
Dr Primus said the approach means patients “can go back to work. They can travel.”
The results are encouraging: more than 90% of patients were taking all four recommended groups of heart failure medicines within eight weeks. All patients surveyed said they were very satisfied, while more than half saved over two hours of travel.
The service also offers potential savings for the NHS. It saved an estimated £2m in its first year by reducing hospital admissions. Dr Primus said this could rise to £5m if extended across the whole area covered by the local NHS integrated care board.
Picture: Debashish Das (left) and Christopher Primus (right), both cardiologists at St Bartholomew's, credit: Charlie Bibby/FT
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