Saving lives at scale: 10 years of Barts Heart Centre
This month marks a major milestone in the fight against heart disease: the 10-year anniversary of Barts Heart Centre – the UK’s largest and busiest specialist heart hospital.
Opened in 2015 following a £234 million investment, the centre brought together three major cardiac services into a single, modern facility at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. It was one of East London’s most ambitious healthcare transformations, driven by a simple goal: to treat more patients and deliver better outcomes in an area of the UK with some of the highest rates of early deaths from cardiovascular conditions. Fragmented services had meant that fewer than half of those in need could access specialist care. A radical change was required.
From one of the first patients – 83-year-old Barbara Boswell, who underwent a life-saving triple heart bypass – to the thousands treated each year, the centre has exceeded all expectations. Originally set up to see 80,000 patients and save 1,000 lives annually, it now delivers care on an unprecedented scale. In the past 12 months, staff carried out 4,000 catheter lab procedures, over 2,000 cardiac surgeries, 48,000 echocardiograms, and treated 6,000 critically ill patients.
Consultant cardiologist and director of the centre, Professor Simon Woldman, said the number of people being treated is now far beyond what was first imagined. "Last year alone, we helped 85,000 patients – surpassing our original ambition and, in doing so, saving even more lives."
Mortality rates have significantly improved for both complex surgeries and less invasive treatments like TAVIs, showing the centre’s impact not just in numbers, but in outcomes too.
The centre has pioneered new approaches to cardiac care. Robotic surgery, enhanced recovery pathways, and a dedicated cardiac surgery school have helped reduce average hospital stays from over eight days to just five – giving patients a faster recovery and freeing up beds for others. Advanced imaging and artificial intelligence are also improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, allowing for more reliable heart scans and earlier interventions.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the centre rapidly expanded intensive care capacity and deployed ECMO (a heart-lung bypass machine) to treat the most severely ill patients. That same technology is now being used beyond hospital walls, through an innovative partnership with London’s Air Ambulance. For the first time, emergency ECMO can be delivered directly in the community.
The centre’s impact extends across the Barts Health group. Its network supports cardiac services in other hospitals, helping ensure patients get expert care closer to home. Ongoing staff training is building specialist skills across the system and improving outcomes for all.
Prevention has also become a growing focus. A dedicated cardiovascular prevention team now leads regional efforts on early diagnosis and risk reduction. Staff run school education sessions, community ParkRun events, and career workshops for local students. The centre’s echocardiography training programme – designed to help non-specialist clinicians detect heart disease earlier – was recognised in Parliament for improving access and saving lives.
A huge shift in how we approach care
Professor Woldman said this change in focus was vital: "Our aim is to ensure people don’t need to come to us for treatment at all. It’s a huge shift in how we approach care, and the results are already having a meaningful impact on our communities."
Despite its scale and reach, the centre remains focused on people. Every patient is treated with expert, compassionate and equitable care – whether they live nearby or travel hundreds of miles. Its ethos remains: discreet excellence, delivered at scale.
The centre’s achievements have earned national recognition. Its most recent Health Service Journal award was for the 'blister score' project, which reduced post-surgery infection rates and is saving more than £100,000 a year. It is also the UK’s top recruiter to cardiovascular research trials, helping to shape the next generation of heart care.
None of this would be possible without the generous support of Barts Charity, who help fund pioneering work across the centre, including over £10 million to help establish the centre over a decade ago.
Fiona Miller Smith, Barts Charity chief executive, said: "It’s incredible to see what an impact the Barts Heart Centre is having on the health of our community. It’s thanks to so many passionate and committed staff members that this is possible, along with our incredible network of donors."
We’ve exceeded the targets we set ten years ago
As part of a hospital that marked its 900th anniversary in 2023, Barts Heart Centre is a powerful example of how the NHS continues to evolve while staying true to its mission: saving lives, improving health, and delivering care with heart.
Reflecting on the decade of progress, St Bartholomew’s Hospital chief executive, Professor Charles Knight, said: "We’ve exceeded the targets we set ten years ago. But the real success is in the lives changed – and the ones still to be saved."
Anne’s story: Life-changing care – twice
When Anne suffered a sudden heart attack in November 2024, she had no idea the pain she was feeling was life-threatening. She was rushed by ambulance to Barts Heart Centre, accompanied by her daughter Ella.
“As I was wheeled out of the ambulance the young paramedics turned to my daughter and said 'welcome home!' Such a beautiful heartfelt gesture at an anxious time.”
Years earlier, Anne, from Hornchurch in east London, had undergone fertility treatment at Barts – a journey that led to the birth of her daughter. Now, 21 years later, the same hospital was saving her life.
She was met by a full medical team on arrival and taken straight into surgery. A stent was fitted under local anaesthetic, and she was able to watch the procedure on screen while the team talked her through every step.
“Dr Wragg and his team of many were incredible, working so in tune together whilst always having time to reassure me… Any anxiety I had previously felt disappeared and I knew I was in good hands.”
Anne was discharged the following evening and received regular calls from the team to check on her recovery.
“I am so very grateful to them for everything. Two completely life changing events at each end of the spectrum in my life and Barts have been there for both. You will always be such important people in my life and I thank you from the bottom of my emotionally and physically mended heart!”
Pictured: Anne and Ella
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