NHS boss announces 600,000 more Brits will get life-saving blood thinners

More than 5,000 lives could be saved and 21,000 stokes prevented thanks to a new NHS England deal to expand the use of life-saving blood thinning drugs.

The agreement was announced by NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard who said 610,000 patients would benefit from the scale up of the use of direct oral anticoagulants.

The drugs will help prevent strokes by preventively preventing blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation a condition causing an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate.   

Speaking at the NHS Providers conference Ms Pritchard said the agreements struck between NHS England and drug manufacturers who make the direct oral anticoagulants.   

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard says a new drug deal to prescribe 600,000 more patients with anticoagulants will help prevent 20,000 strokes and save 5,000 lives

The new drugs will be given to patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation, a condition causing an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. The NHS says the condition causes one in five strokes in England. The new anticoagulants will help prevent and actively treat blood clots before they cause a stroke

‘The agreements struck by NHS England will save thousands of lives and prevent many more people suffering the debilitating effects of strokes by making this treatment available to hundreds of thousands more patients,’ she said. 

‘The health service now has a proven track record of striking deals with manufacturers to ensure patients in England get cutting-edge care at a price which offers best value for taxpayers.’ 

The agreement on the drugs comes after The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended them as being more effective for the prevention of atrial fibrillation-related stroke than other anticoagulants.  

Previous standard of anticoagulation treatment involved people needing to regularly attend their GP surgery or hospital for frequent monitoring.  

But the new direct oral anticoagulants will now mean patients will often now only need to attend an annual review of their medicines.

NHS England estimates providing direct oral anticoagulants to 610,000 more patients will help prevent 21,700 stokes and save 5,400 lives over the next three years.

This commercial agreement for direct oral anticoagulants will go live from 1 January next year. 

The cost of the new deal was not announced. 

Patients will be told by their GP, or the clinician managing their condition, if they should go on the new anticoagulants. 

NHS England national specialty adviser for cardiovascular disease prevention Helen Williams said the agreement was good news for the estimated 1.5 million people in England with atrial fibrillation, which is estimated to cause one in five strokes. 

‘Not only is stroke one of the biggest killers in our country, but it leads to life-changing and often devastating long-term harm for many others,’ she said.

‘By ensuring these drugs are made available for all people with atrial fibrillation who are at risk of stroke, the NHS will not only prevent serious harm to the people affected, but avoid the need for aftercare which puts additional pressure on the health service.’