South Ribble MP reveals heart diagnosis - and pushes Government to prevent more premature deaths
Around 170,000 people in the UK die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) every year - that's one life every three minutes.
South Ribble MP Paul Foster has revealed a personal health shock - and vowed to push the Government to do more to help others.
Taking to social media on Tuesday night, Mr Foster, 55, wrote: “This is a personal post for me. I was born with a congenital heart defect that I’ve only recently found out about, so the fight against heart disease and stroke is one I am passionate about, not just as a policy area.
“On Thursday I'm leading a debate in Westminster Hall on reducing premature deaths from heart disease and stroke. Around 170,000 people in the UK die from CVD (cardiovascular disease) every year - that's one life every 3 minutes, and for the first time in over 50 years we're going backwards, not forwards.
“I'll be pushing the Minister on when we'll actually see the new Modern Service Framework for CVD, and what's being done to stop people dying younger than they should.”
He also highlighted the significant economic cost of the disease — £12 billion a year to the NHS and £30 billion to the wider economy — and called for greater investment in research and innovation, including the use of AI for earlier diagnosis.
Mr Foster also acknowledged that it’s also 65 years since the British Heart Foundation was founded, and called it “a fitting moment to make the case”.
He added: “I recently visited one of their red benches as part of the Living Memory campaign. It’s a small but powerful reminder of just how many lives this cause touches.”
The debate will be in Westminster Hall on Thursday, July 2 at 1.30pm and you can watch it on ParliTV https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Guide