Rachael Forsythe (Edinburgh, UK) provides an update from the Circulation Foundation—the UK’s only national charity dedicated to vascular disease.
On 10 September, vascular disease was firmly on the Westminster agenda. The culmination of efforts from the UK Vascular and Venous All Party Parliamentary Group (VVAPPG) and allies saw a parliamentary debate on vascular disease attended by the Minister for Health Innovation and UK member of parliament (MP), James Frith. Several other MPs, including former vascular and transplant surgeon Zubir Ahmed, called on the UK government for urgent reform in the vascular sector, to reduce avoidable amputations, unequal access to care and unacceptable delays in treatment. In the formidable setting of the historic Westminster Hall, and in the presence of a handful of onlooking vascular surgeons and clinicians, the motion was passed unanimously and with unusually strong cross-party support.
Immediately following the debate, the Circulation Foundation co-hosted a parliamentary drop-in event at the House of Commons, for the premiere screening of our short film, ‘Peripheral artery disease: not just a walk in the park’. Funded by industry, this was attended by parliamentarians, policymakers, clinicians, charity and industry representatives, and patients. The 50-strong room was pin-drop silent during the six-minute film. Through the stories of three patients affected by peripheral arterial disease (PAD), we heard first-hand how serious, under-recognised and devastating the disease can be. Patients were also in attendance at the event, and one made a moving speech about how the combination of PAD and diabetes resulted in major lower limb amputation. She drew attention to her prosthetic leg as she encouraged more action to prevent other patients experiencing the same fate. This was the defining moment of the afternoon: bringing the patient voice in front of policymakers and parliamentarians is more powerful than any clinician oration. Buoyed by supportive speeches delivered by Jessica Randall-Carrick from NHS England and Zubir Ahmed, there was a palpable energy in the room as the sector once again united around the issues facing our patients.
But, what next? The Circulation Foundation is proud of its short film, the success of the Westminster event and the building momentum amongst the wider stakeholder group. We are grateful for the uptick in support from the vascular community—our Relay26 baton is being passed between 18 vascular units in the UK, raising awareness and funds for our work and has had incredible support from many colleagues around the country; the Body Walk challenge during September was well supported and we have seen increased engagement from our industry colleagues, allied societies and charities. We also stand by other efforts, including the soon-to-launch ‘Are your legs killing you?’ PAD awareness campaign in Leicestershire, which was co-created with patients and lay members. This major public awareness campaign featuring adverts on buses, public spaces and in the media is a huge step towards PAD being recognised in the national psyche as an important cause of early cardiovascular death.
But we are now facing the challenge of following through on our ambitions, now that the excitement of the short film screening has abated. We must not let this pass as a single day’s glory. With the hope of increased donations, industry partnerships and collaborations with other societies, our next goal is to fund more research specifically focusing on patient-facing issues, and to build a network of patient groups around the country. We invite all the vascular community to join with us.
Watch the Circulation Foundation’s short film on PAD here.
Rachael Forsythe is a consultant vascular surgeon in Edinburgh, UK, and chair of the Circulation Foundation.
