Research has shown that thousands of lives could be saved from heart attacks in the NHS if it matched the rates in Sweden.

A study published in the Lancet found that over a third more Britons than Swedes died within a month of having a heart attack.
The research, involving around half a million patients, estimated that more than 11,000 deaths could have been avoided during this seven-year period if UK care standards were as good as those in Sweden.
A key reason for the striking difference between the two countries is that British patients are not receiving the best possible treatment, Professor Harry Hemingway lead researchers said -  “Our findings are a cause for concern. The uptake and use of new technologies and effective treatments recommended in guidelines has been far quicker in Sweden.   This has contributed to large differences in the management and outcomes of patients.”

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The lesson here for the UK is that we need to be led by the research and introduce pioneering practices quickly and on a large scale.”

Source:   The Lancet ;  The Scotsman