10:20pm Saturday 1st November 2008
By Bessie Robinson
HEALTH charities are urging people in the North-East to fight England's biggest killer by influencing future healthcare.
The Cardio and Vascular Coalition (CVC), made up of 36 voluntary organisations, will use the results of a public online survey launched on Monday to persuade the Government to make cardio and vascular diseases its main health priority.
Patients, relatives and carers can have their say on the future of treatment and care by visiting www.consultationfinder.com/cvc.
Heart and circulatory diseases, which include heart disease and stroke, are the leading cause of death in England, claiming more than 167,000 victims every year.
Closely related conditions affect the lives of millions of people, with four per cent of adults suffering from diabetes and eight per cent with chronic kidney disease.
CVC chair Betty McBride said: "We want to hear what really matters to people living with cardio vascular disease, and their loved ones. If we are to improve treatment and care, we must listen and learn from people with first hand experience."
The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease comes to an end in 2009/10 and there is currently no strategy to replace it. The framework has been crucial in providing a focus for the health service in reducing death and disability caused by cardio and vascular disease.
Betty McBride added: "The Government cannot take a holiday from fighting cardio and vascular disease.
"Heart health has improved over the last decade, but it still kills more people than any other disease. Stroke, diabetes and kidney disease are also killer diseases which place an enormous burden on the country's health.
"We must have a new strategy that recognises the links between these conditions, otherwise the progress that's been made will evaporate."
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