New targets for heart treatment

Specialists claim Wales is falling further behind England

The Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt is expected to announce new targets aimed at improving standards of care for heart patients.

Her statement to the assembly on Tuesday comes two weeks after Welsh heart specialists took the unprecedented step of holding a press conference to highlight a crisis in cardiac care.

Jane Hutt insists the situation is improving

They claimed treatment was lagging far behind England due to a lack of resources.

In response, Ms Hutt told BBC Wales cardiology was "top of her agenda."

The Welsh Cardiac Group claims that hospital patients in Wales are dying as they wait longer than ever for heart disease to be diagnosed.

It contrasted with England where there had been massive investment to increase staff and build new facilities.

Dr Rhidian Dowdle, chair of the Welsh Cardiac Group, said a huge increase in resources was necessary.

"If we simply take the numbers of investigations and procedures required by the plan for coronary heart disease in Wales, we would need to double our workforce of cardiologists and we would need to have three times as many catheterisation laboratories as at present."

Dr Rhidian Dowdle says more money is needed

Welsh surgeons used the example of Yorkshire, whose population of 2.3m was similar to that of mid and south Wales.

Cardiologists there had 10 dedicated heart investigation laboratories compared to three in Wales.

Waiting lists to see a cardiologist in Wales are now two years long, which the cardiac group blames on a lack of investment by the assembly.

In response, Ms Hutt said the situation was improving, with waiting lists for heart surgery being reduced to one year.

Wales has a record of heart disease which is among the worst in Europe - one of the country's biggest killers.