A radical and far reaching programme designed to transform the prevention diagnosis, and treatment of coronary heart disease in England has been announced, with the launch earlier this week of the long awaited national service framework for coronary heart disease.

The framework sets out a 10 year programme designed to achieve the government target of cutting coronary heart disease and stroke by 40% by 2010. It sets 12 standards for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of coronary heart disease; describes service models; and explains how the standards can be delivered and how progress will be monitored, with milestones and goals.

These standards include general measures (such as the requirement that the NHS and partner agencies should develop, implement, and monitor policies that reduce the prevalence of coronary risk factors in the population) as well as specific measures (such as the recommendation that people with symptoms of a possible heart attack should receive help from an …