Heart Diseases
Health
Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health
(1) what the (a) detection rates and (b) rates of patients fully treated are for atrial fibrillation; and what steps he is taking to improve identification and treatment;
(2) what assessment he has made of the care given to people with atrial fibrillation in (a) Huddersfield and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.
Anna Soubry (Broxtowe, Conservative)
Data on incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is not collected centrally. However, data on the prevalence of AF is collected via the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). This data is shown in the following table. Data for Kirklees primary care trust (PCT) has been provided as it covers Huddersfield.
| QOF AF prevalence | ||||||
| Percentage | ||||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
| England | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Kirklees PCT | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
Data on the use of treatments for AF is not centrally collected. However, data on the percentage of patients with AF who receive either an oral anticoagulant or aspirin to manage their risk of stroke is collected via the QOF AF3 indicator.
| Score on AF3, 2011-12 | |
| Percentage | |
| England | 93.7 |
| Kirklees PCT | 93.8 |
Better detection and treatment of AF is being considered as part of the development of the Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy, which is due to be published by the end of March 2013.
NHS Improvement is working with the national health service to roll out the Guidance on Risk Assessment and Stroke Prevention in AF (GRASP-AF) tool to help ensure that those patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are receiving appropriate treatment. So far, 2,276 general practitioner practices (28% of practices in England) have used the GRASP-AF tool.