A pilot programme aimed at diagnosing heart disease among people from ethnic minority backgrounds should be rolled out across the whole of the NHS, the doctors behind the initiative have urged.
Aortic stenosis is a condition where the aortic valve, which controls blood moving from the heart to the body, starts restricting blood flow. This causes it to become narrow, resulting in symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain.
Although about 300,000 people across England are estimated to be living with the condition, evidence suggests that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to receive treatment after diagnosis.
Black patients were 48% less likely to undergo a procedure to replace their aortic valve than white patients, with south Asian patients 27% less likely, a study by researchers from the University of Leicester found.
To address the disparity, two rapid access valve assessment clinics have been set up in south London in collaboration between Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust and King’s College hospital, in areas with a high population of people from ethnic minority backgrounds and also where treatment rates for valve disease were known to be low.
Those identified as having a heart murmur by their GP or at a screening event were then referred to either clinic where they received treatment.
“Despite significant advancements in valve disease treatments over the last 20 years, a lot of heart valve disease still goes undetected,” said Ronak Rajani, consultant cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular imaging, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust and King’s College London.
“This is particularly true for people from the global majority and living in economically deprived areas, where there is inequity of diagnosis and treatment.”
Rajani added: “We launched the community rapid access valve clinics to close this healthcare gap by putting the clinics are in areas where treatment for valve disease is lower than expected. By bringing these clinics into the community, we are seeing people who might otherwise not know they had heart valve disease. We are diagnosing them quicker and offering them treatment if needed. This reduces health complications and saves the NHS money.”
The ongoing pilot, which has been running for six months, has screened 168 patients with over half (55%) being from a minority ethnic background. Of those screened, 57% had valve disease or other clinically significant findings, while over a third (35%) were found to have at least moderate valve disease requiring further treatment or surveillance.
Given the success seen so far, Rajani and the team have called for the scheme to be expanded across NHS England. “I would advocate for these community rapid access valve clinics to be replicated across the country, where we know the same issues exist, to close the healthcare inequality gap,” Rajani said. “This would be a pioneering approach to deliver heart valve care and tackle a problem in the UK, and globally.”
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Projects like these are helping to break down barriers, giving people easier access to the heart valve treatment and care they need, when they need it.”
“Cardiovascular disease is a major driver of inequalities in life expectancy across the UK. It’s not good enough that in 2026, a person’s chance of living a long, healthy life is still shaped by factors such as their postcode or ethnicity.
She added: “Research we’ve supported has also found stark disparities in access to lifesaving aortic valve treatment, with women, South Asian and Black people, and people living in more deprived communities less likely to receive the diagnosis and care they need.
NHS England have been approached for comment.