UK Member of Parliament (MP) Jim Shannon recently hosted the annual parliamentary drop-in event for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vascular and Venous Disease (VVAPPG).
The event, which took place on 18 May in the UK Houses of Parliament, brought together parliamentarians, patient representatives, charities and industry stakeholders to discuss the challenges facing vascular services across the UK.
Shannon, who is chair of the VVAPPG, reflected on the strong progress made by the group over the past year and highlighted the growing momentum behind efforts to improve vascular care and reduce preventable amputations.
Attendees also heard from Stella Vig (Croydon NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK), deputy national medical director for quality and secondary care and national clinical director for elective care at NHS England, who provided an update on the progress that has been made by the group since the publication of the ‘Making the case for reform in the vascular sector’ policy white paper. In the paper, the VVAPPG alongside the co-authors of the report, the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) and the Royal College of Podiatry (RCOP), made five clear recommendations to the government:
- Fund and implement a National Foot Attack Pathway, with mandated same-day or next-day triage and a national public awareness campaign.
- Establish community Foot Protection Services in every integrated care system (ICS), aligned with National Wound Care Strategy Programme standards.
- Set national maximum waiting times for vascular assessment and revascularisation, with transparent national reporting.
- Reform commissioning to reward outcomes, incentivising prevention, faster healing and reduced amputations.
- Accelerate proven innovation, using the NHS Innovator Passport to fast-track cost-effective technologies.
Additionally, Vig also provided an update on the Commissioning Framework for Vascular Care that is being drafted, urging attendees to unite behind the document.
Vig said: “I am excited by the progress being made on the Commissioning Framework for Vascular Care, which has the potential to be transformational for patients and services across the country. By creating a more consistent and outcomes-focused approach to commissioning, we have a real opportunity to improve access to high-quality care and reduce unwarranted variation in outcomes.”
Speaking on the event, Shannon commented: “It was fantastic to see such a strong community come together in Parliament, united by the shared ambition of improving outcomes for patients living with vascular and venous disease. The APPG has made real progress over the past year in raising awareness of the challenges facing the sector and building momentum behind the need for reform to reduce preventable amputations and tackle inequalities in care.”
