BMJ 2001;323:246-247 ( 4 August )

Editorials

Preventing cardiovascular disease in primary care

Targets are fine in principle, but unrealistic

Primary care p 269

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The United Kingdom's national service framework for cardiovascular disease1 is one year old. It describes an ambitious list of standards, milestones, and performance indicators against which the NHS will be held to account. It requires primary care to identify and institute preventive strategies not only for people with established ischaemic heart disease but also for those with a 30% 10 year cardiovascular risk. In this issue Hippisley-Cox and Pringle report a study of 18 computerised general practices to estimate the workload involved in meeting these expectations (p 269).2 Is it matched by the benefits gained?

Clearly, the increased workload for primary care is huge. In the absence of additional resources, how should this extra work be prioritised alongside everything else required of primary care? Apparently there will be more doctors and nurses,1 but given a global shortage where will they come from in the time frame of this framework? Without extra . . . [Full text of this article]
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Gregory, S., Bostock, Y., Backett-Milburn, K. (2006). Recovering from a heart attack: a qualitative study into lay experiences and the struggle to make lifestyle changes. Fam Pract 23: 220-225 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Small benefits at enormous expense
Alec Logan
bmj.com, 7 Aug 2001 [Full text]
Another way to collect data
Trefor Roscoe
bmj.com, 8 Aug 2001 [Full text]
will patients really change their lifestyle?
Norman Gibbon
bmj.com, 11 Aug 2001 [Full text]
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