The Facts
According to a British Heart Foundation (BHF) analysis of government data published Thursday, deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the UK have risen by 500 per week despite the end of the pandemic. It found roughly 100K excess CVD deaths since spring 2020.
In the third year of the pandemic, there were 27K excess heart deaths compared to 7.8K COVID deaths citing CVD as an underlying cause. Meanwhile, the waiting list for time-sensitive cardiac care has hit a record 390k people.
The Spin
Narrative A
The UK's public health system has rapidly collapsed since the onset of COVID, putting the lives of countless people at risk. In the midst of the chaos, deadly diagnoses were left untreated and vulnerable people were left isolated at home. These latest numbers are merely the aftershocks of a system overwhelmed by the pandemic, with further repercussions undoubtedly yet to come.
Narrative B
COVID was merely the symptom — not the cause — of a failing system that has been overwhelmed for years. A redesign is long overdue, and Britain's health system should be changed to mirror other European universalized models. To do that, the NHS must first be abolished, with the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland acting as solid examples the UK could follow while avoiding the completely privatized path of the US.
