- Home
- News
- Healthcare experts raise concerns over Long Terms Conditions Framework
Healthcare experts raise concerns over Long Terms Conditions Framework
16 July 2025
Leading healthcare experts have joined forces to send an open letter to the Scottish Health Minister expressing “deep concern” at proposals which they believe will undermine any hopes of improvements to cardiology outcomes in Scotland.
It comes after British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland recently highlighted the worst start to a decade for Scotland’s heart health for 50 years.
The letter, sent to Jenni Minto MSP, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, expresses serious alarm about the Scottish Government’s recently published Long-Term Conditions Framework Consultation.
Co-ordinated by BHF Scotland, the letter, published today [Monday], warns that the current approach outlined in the consultation lacks strategic clarity and risks undermining cardiology services across the country.
The letter has 11 signatories including senior representatives from Royal Colleges and specialist clinical cardiovascular groups.
Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of disease and death in Scotland, it reads: “Almost one in eight people in Scotland live with some form of cardiovascular disease. Ischemic heart diseases remain the most common cause of death under the age of 75.”
The Scottish Government’s consultation document calls for a cross-cutting, generalised approach to multiple long-term conditions, rather than a separate plan which experts believe is necessary in tackling heart disease.
But the signatories argue that heart disease must be retained as a standalone priority for the Scottish Government.
It states: “We, the clinical community, urge the Scottish Government to reconsider its approach and ensure that heart disease receives the strategic focus it deserves through a commitment to a refreshed, fully funded and resourced Heart Disease Action Plan. Given the substantial impact of heart disease on individuals and the healthcare system, it is imperative that strategic thinking and focused efforts are directed towards this condition.”
David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, says: “At a time when survival rates from heart and circulatory diseases are declining, rolling back over 60 years of progress, now is not the time for the Scottish Government to deprioritise its commitment in this area.
“Patients and our clinical community are facing significant challenges including diagnostic waiting times, long term care and support and we want to work with the Scottish Government, patients, and clinicians to redouble our efforts to tackle Scotland’s single biggest killer.”
Professor Adrian Brady, President of the Scottish Cardiac Society, said: “Heart disease remains one of the biggest killers in Scotland. The cardiovascular community welcomes the Government’s plan to focus on Chronic Conditions.
“Any focus must be supported by an evidence base that shows lives will be saved by intervention and long term strategic change.
“Such evidence abounds for cardiac disease and we look forward to working with Scottish Government and the British Heart Foundation to achieve these aims.”
The consultation period for the Long Term Conditions Framework ends on 20th July.
The open letter can be read in full here and the full list of signatories are:
David McColgan - Head, British Heart Foundation Scotland
Heather Probert – President, British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation
Jo Sopala – Chief Executive Officer, British Society of Echocardiography
Fiona Brownlie – Chair, Cardiac Rehab Interest Group Scotland
Prof Raj Thakkar – President, Primary Care Cardiovascular Society
Professor Hany Eteiba – President, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Prof Rowan Parks – President, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Prof Adrian Brady – President, Scottish Cardiac Society
Prof Mary MacLeod – Chair, Scottish Heart & Arterial Disease Risk Prevention (SHARP)
Dr Jonathan Malo – Chair, Scottish Lipid Forum
35 patient and clinical representatives of the Inherited Cardiac Conditions community
Ends
Notes to Editors:
For more information, please contact: Katrina Tweedie, Communications Manager, BHF Scotland at tweediek@bhf.org.uk or call 07814 047488
- The Scottish Government launched its consultation on a Long-Term Conditions Framework in April 2025 which closes on 19 July 2025. The framework outlines a new strategic approach prioritising work to support the growing number of people in Scotland living with one or more long-term health conditions.
- The Scottish Government published the current Heart Disease Action Plan in 2021; this plan was developed following 18 months of collaborative work with BHF Scotland and the clinical community. The Cross-Party Group on Heart and Circulatory Diseases published a report into the implementation of the Plan in 2024, which found that while some areas have seen important progress, implementation has suffered from a lack of resource and priority given to cardiology by Scottish Government and Health Boards.
About the BHF
Far too many of us have felt the pain of losing someone we love to cardiovascular disease, the world’s biggest killer. With your support, British Heart Foundation (BHF) powers groundbreaking research to save and improve lives.
View other News