Heart failure services from the hospital perspective in the UK: a cross-sectional survey.

Heart failure (HF) is a significant problem in the UK with variation in services across the country. Here we describe the findings from a cross-sectional survey of HF services in the UK performed between September 2021 and February 2022. Seventy-nine responses describing hospital-based HF services from all devolved countries were received. The clinical lead in 82% of hospitals was a cardiologist with specialist interest in HF. Just over half of HF hospital services had a one-stop diagnostic clinic with a median of two clinics per week. A two-week pathway and six-week pathway were present in 78.5% and 75%, respectively. Only 4% of services met referral waiting time targets 100%, and 15% never met targets. The majority of inpatient HF services reviewed patients with primary (96%) or secondary (89%) admission for HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), corresponding percentages for HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) were 68% and 51%, respectively. HF services reported a median of two HF consultant cardiologists, five non-HF consultant cardiologists, one palliative care consultant, two band seven and one band six HF specialist nurses. In conclusion, considerable variation in hospital-based HF services across the UK exist, which may not meet the needs of patients.