National data released by CVD Prevent shows NHS North East London is once again among the top performing regions in England for key metrics relating to the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases.
Before the pandemic, North East London had the best control of blood pressure and serum cholesterol in the country for people with hypertension, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. This is despite the region encompassing some of the UK’s most disadvantaged areas. But primary care services in North East London were hugely impacted by Covid-19. Data from 2020-2022 indicates that activities to prevent cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease reduced more than most other NHS regions during the pandemic. But the recent CVD Prevent data release, which includes information from GP records up until 31 March 2023, shows North East London is almost back to pre-pandemic achievement.
There is still some work to do - no region in England is meeting the NHS ambition of 77% of people with hypertension having their blood pressure well-controlled, although North East London is performing comparatively well at 71.6%. Recent CEG research also highlights inequalities: People from Black/Black British ethnic groups with hypertension were 10% less likely to have controlled blood pressure than those in White ethnic groups. And people under 50 years of age were 40% less likely to have controlled blood pressure than those older.
GPs across North East London are using CEG software tools to address inequalities and support their patients with long-term conditions, including chronic kidney disease and atrial fibrillation. The tools support equitable treatment by listing all patients with a condition who are registered with the GP practice and filtering by latest reading, overdue measures and risk factors. The tools are part of a whole system of support from CEG, including resources for high-quality data entry and performance monitoring.