Cardiovascular Disease

Overview

Improving outcomes for people at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a top priority for the NHS. In England, over 6.4 million people are living with heart and circulatory diseases, and CVD is responsible for around 140,000 deaths each year, which equates to about one death every four minutes. The financial implications are also substantial: £10 billion is spent annually on CVD related healthcare within England, while the broader economic cost, including premature death, disability, long-term care, and informal care, is estimated at £24 billion per year.¹

CVD prevention is central to the NHS’s 10 Year Health Plan, with a target of a 25 per cent reduction in premature deaths from heart disease and stroke over the next decade. The plan marks a shift from treating illness to preventing it, moving more care into the community and using digital innovation to detect and manage risk factors earlier. This long-term plan underscores the shift from sickness to prevention, moving care from hospitals into the community, and embracing digital tools to enable earlier detection and management of risk factors. It also commits to a modernised cardiovascular service framework, underpinned by investment in research, genomics and health equity, recognising that holistic prevention is key to improving outcomes and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the NHS.

In 2025/26, the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London is working to build on previous years’ achievements in CVD. We work with local ICBs, healthcare providers, patients, academic institutions, industry and charities with a particular focus using innovation to improve the prevention, detection and optimisation of risk factors such as hypertension, cholesterol, chronic kidney disease and atrial fibrillation.

Find out more about our projects supporting better cardiovascular health below. 

¹ England Cardiovascular Disease Factsheet, British Heart Foundation, 2025