PCN’s CVD prevention pilot expanded to cover 230,000 patients

A cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention initiative lead by a Warrington PCN has been expanded to cover 228,000 patients across five neighbouring PCNs.

The digital initiative, which was trialled among 1,090 patients across seven practices in Warrington Innovation Network PCN, focused on detecting and managing CVD, and prevented an estimated potential 30 heart attacks and strokes (calculated using QRisk3).

It has now been rolled out across 26 neighbouring GP practices in Warrington and Cheshire, where it is estimated to potentially prevent 80 strokes and heart attacks.

Clinicians monitor patients remotely, with patients encouraged to upload their vitals via an app developed by BT Group’s digital incubation arm Etc HealthTech.

The proactive approach could help to save £1.5m in healthcare costs over the next three years, BT Group said.

The NHS long term plan outlined a national ambition to prevent 150,000 strokes, heart attacks and dementia cases over the next 10 years.

Clinical director for Warrington Innovation Network PCN, Dr Dan Bunstone, said: ‘Within healthcare, where we fall down is when it comes to closing the loop. We’re good at finding if someone has a health problem – we can screen and refer – but a lot of people fall off there. This is where we plan to plug the gap. So, when we find a patient has a problem or is at risk, we will onboard them [onto the platform] and make sure they are not left lost as to how to manage going forward.’

He added that while the initial pilot saw clinicians identify patients to onboard, the expanded pilot will encourage a blended approach with patients urged to sign up for themselves.

Director of Etc HealthTech Neal Herman said: ‘We want people, healthy or not, to self-manage their healthcare by recoding their blood pressure, their pulse rate and observing the maintenance or decline over time. That also grants a gateway for clinicians to intervene if there is a decline. It’s about having an ongoing relationship between a clinician and patient and the app enables that. I’m in this field and so I’m looking at my vitals every day, but everyone should be doing so frequently.’

Last year, clincial director Dr Dan Bunstone explained how the PCN implemented the pilot.