Demands for action on Scotland's growing heart disease crisis

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) wants political parties to commit to a reduction in premature cardiovascular disease of 25 per cent within the next 10 years.

Ahead of the Holyrood election next year, it has launched a new “manifesto” aimed at combating Scotland’s biggest killer.

Almost one in seven people are living with a cardiovascular condition, and more than two thirds of Scots (67 per cent) personally know someone who has experienced cardiovascular disease.

The BHF is calling for a new specific cardiology plan to tackle the crisis, which has seen a rise in the rate and number of deaths in working-age adults aged 20-64 from cardiovascular disease in Scotland.

It is forecast the health burden of heart and circulatory diseases will increase by 34 per cent by 2043, the highest increase of all disease groups.

David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: “Scotland's heart health has seen the worst start to a decade in a generation, with cardiovascular deaths in working age adults rising by more than 10 per cent between 2019 and 2023.

“This is unacceptable and is a moment where government must sit up and understand the challenges faced within the health service to support those at risk of and living with heart disease in Scotland. Without a national focus and prioritisation on heart health many more lives will be needlessly lost.

“BHF Scotland is committed to working tirelessly to build a Scotland where everyone has a healthier heart for longer and as we approach the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, we urge all political parties to prioritise heart health and join us in committing to the ambition of reducing the rate of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease by 25 per cent by 2035.

“With the current Heart Disease Action Plan ending next year, a commitment to meaningful action by politicians across the political parties is needed to meet the scale of the challenge we face and the improve the lives of the people affected by cardiovascular disease.”

There are 730,000 people living with cardiovascular disease in Scotland. For the first time in a generation, the BHF said there has been a sustained rise in deaths from these conditions.

Over the past six decades, the UK has made huge strides in improving outcomes for people living with cardiovascular disease.

However, the BHF said increasing ill health is placing unprecedented pressure on cardiology services and 2024 saw the longest waiting times on record for cardiology in Scotland.

The latest figures showed more than 20,000 people were waiting for an outpatient appointment with a cardiologist in June 2025.

Of these, more than half had been waiting for longer than the 12-week waiting time target and almost 600 had been waiting for more than a year.

Professor Adrian Brady, president of the Scottish Cardiac Society, said decades of progress risked being reversed unless action is taken.

“As clinicians, we see the profound impact that cardiovascular disease has on the lives of people across Scotland every day,” he said.

“The rising burden of cardiovascular disease, growing inequalities in access and outcomes, and increasing pressure on diagnostic and treatment services demand urgent and coordinated action.

“The evidence is clear: without timely diagnosis, without equitable access to care, and without investment in prevention, we risk reversing decades of progress.”

Billy Cunningham, from Cumbernauld, suffered a heart attack and then cardiac arrest at the age of just 38 in 2023. The plasterer was quad biking when he collapsed and was given CPR by the partner of his eldest daughter, Demi.

He was airlifted to hospital and now suffers from heart failure because of damage caused by his heart attack.

Demi, 22, who has two children of her own – Isla, three, and Aaryn, one - said: “If you had told me beforehand that my dad, at such a young age would have suffered a heart attack, I would have laughed in disbelief.

“But heart conditions affect all ages and finding cures and making sure families don’t suffer heartbreak should be a priority.”