MAJOR research today revealed that alarmingly low levels of surgery are being carried out on East Lancashire heart patients.

Health experts have expressed concern about access to cardiac services for the ethnic minorities, people over 65 and patients living in deprived areas.

The findings have been revealed in a major research project in East Lancashire, which has one of the highest rates of coronary heart disease.

East Lancashire Health Authority now wants more money spent to improve access for heart patients and to reduce waiting times.

It also recommends:

More research to explore the low rates of investigation and surgery.

Better communication between family doctors and consultants in tertiary (specialist) centres.

Guidelines to be drawn up between cardiologists, GPs and the health authority to help in the referral process.

East Lancashire patients are referred to hospitals in Blackpool, Manchester and Leeds for specialist heart surgery, including angiography and open heart operations.

There are currently 10 local patients who have been waiting for specialist treatment for more than a year.

Dr Mark Smith, consultant in public health for East Lancashire Health Authority, said: "Since some patients are waiting more than a year for investigation and treatment, consideration should be given to new investment.

"The study confirms the well-known association between social deprivation and heart disease mortality, particularly for men.

"Death rates from coronary heart disease are greater in areas with a higher proportion of Asian residents, but this is not matched by increasing interventions.

"Referrals and interventions were acknowledged to be much lower in patients over 70.

"Communication difficulties between doctor and patient were repeatedly cited as making diagnosis harder in Asian patients. Some of the GPs felt that these patients were less likely to be referred to tertiary centres, while others thought that there was reluctance to undergo angiography among Asians."

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