More than 20,000 strokes and 5,000 deaths could be averted each year after NHS England struck a deal to expand life-saving blood thinning drugs.
NHS England will scale up the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) across the network, with more than 610,000 patients set to benefit over the next three years.
DOACs are used to prevent blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition that causes an irregular and often fast heart rate.
People with AF are five times more likely to have a stroke than the rest of the population.
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: “The agreements struck by NHS England will save thousands of lives and prevent many more people suffering the debilitating effects of strokes by making this treatment available to hundreds of thousands more patients.
“The health service now has a proven track record of striking deals with manufacturers to ensure patients in England get cutting-edge care at a price which offers best value for taxpayers.
“As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, tackle the backlogs of care which have been created and maintain momentum in the NHS COVID vaccination programme, we are also determined to keep delivering more innovation and greater efficiency in patients’ care”.
The agreement comes after NICE advised that DOACs were more effective at preventing AF-related stroke than other anticoagulants.
The agreement will make DOACs more affordable and it is hoped that uptake will prevent up to 21,700 stokes and save the lives of 5,400 patients.
Up to £40 million investment will also be made in ‘Detect, Protect and Perfect’ initiatives to help identify and treat people with AF.
NHS England national specialty adviser for cardiovascular disease prevention Helen Williams said:
“The new agreement for these drugs is good news for the estimated 1.5 million people in England with atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart rhythm that causes one in five strokes.
“Not only is stroke one of the biggest killers in our country, but it leads to life-changing and often devastating long-term harm for many others, so by ensuring these drugs are made available for all people with AF who are at risk of stroke, the NHS will not only prevent serious harm to the people affected, but avoid the need for aftercare which puts additional pressure on the health service.”
