Health: Cardiology

House of Lords written question – answered at on 7 November 2011.

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Photo of Lord Laird Lord Laird UUP

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to improve the care for those who suffer from arrhythmia.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to improve the level of information available to the medical community on arrhythmia.

Photo of Earl Howe Earl Howe The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health

NHS Improvement is working with the National Health Service to improve care for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common form of arrhythmia, and to improve the level of AF information available to the medical community. This work includes:

raising awareness of AF both in the general public and health professionals. They are working closely with the Stroke Association on its "Ask first-to help prevent stroke later" campaign and the Atrial Fibrillation Association on developing a national general practitioner (GP) questionnaire on AF, which will be posted to every GP practice in England;promoting the use of the Guidance on Risk Assessment and Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (GRASP-AF) tool, which is designed to aid the identification of patients already known to have AF who are at increased risk of stroke and not on warfarin. This includes summarising and disseminating the latest guidance on stroke risk management in AF and developing new promotional material specifically aimed at GPs;publication, in association with the National Patient Safety Agency, of a guide for commissioners on anticoagulation services; andworking with the cardiac and stroke networks to support local and regional education events for healthcare professionals to promote the increased use of oral anticoagulation in those with AF, and discuss the latest evidence supporting the use of warfarin in preference to aspirin for the management of stroke risk in AF.

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