The Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group’s (VVAPPG) whitepaper recommends shifts to improve vascular care for patients and avoid unnecessary harm. Credit: Khan Vector Co / Shutterstock.com

On 17 March, the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group (VVAPPG) launched a whitepaper setting out a roadmap for transforming lower-limb vascular care across England.

Developed in collaboration with the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), the Royal College of Podiatry, and colleagues from across the vascular community, the report, Making the Case for Reform in the Vascular Sector, highlights the need to address gaps in vascular care that continue to result in avoidable harm for patients.

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Vascular disease remains one of the leading causes of preventable disability and premature death in the UK. Despite major improvements in the treatment of stroke and cardiac disease in recent years, outcomes for people with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), venous disease and diabetes-related foot complications have not improved at the same pace. Delayed diagnosis, inconsistent referral pathways and variable access to specialist care continue to result in thousands of avoidable lower-limb amputations each year.

The report makes the case for a prevention-led, community-first model of care, centred on the establishment of dedicated multidisciplinary Foot Protection Services within every Integrated Care System (ICS). According to the report, these services would enable earlier diagnosis, reduce travel and access barriers for patients, and relieve pressure on acute services by preventing deterioration and avoidable hospital admissions.

In this episode, Medical Device Network spoke with Kathleen Van Vlierberghe, vice president of peripheral interventions, EMEA region, at Boston Scientific. Van Vlierberghe was involved in the development of the VVAPPG’s whitepaper.

In this episode, Van Vlierberghe outlines why vascular care reform in the UK National Health Service (NHS) is needed and highlights the practical considerations towards making the whitepaper’s recommendations a reality.

Listen to the full episode below: