The NHS Long Term Plan

Setting out the NHS's key objectives and priorities for the coming decade, the NHS Long Term Plan includes specific reference to cholesterol and familial hypercholesterolaemia and HEART UK are delighted.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits to expanding access to genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). NHS England aims for 25% of people with FH to be identified through the NHS genomics programme over the next 5 years, this equates to 37,500 lives.

• The Plan sets out the ambition for people to routinely know their AF, blood pressure and cholesterol levels with the help of digital technology.
• NHS England, working with local authorities and PHE, commit to improving the effectiveness of the NHS Health Check.
• The creation of a national CVD audit for primary care is included in the Plan to identify patients with high risk conditions requiring treatment.

The inclusion of a specific reference to FH and a commitment to improving its identification is a triumph. This demonstrates that the profile and awareness of FH is continuing to rise. Events like the HEART UK FH Day of Action, the #FindFH campaign and the support from people with FH have helped elevate FH to receive the attention.

It is also important that raised cholesterol has been included alongside AF and blood pressure as high-risk conditions that the NHS must improve the identification and management of. This was also a central ask of HEART UK’s activities throughout 2018 and included in the State of the Nation report and launch in Parliament during National Cholesterol Month.