National strategy a positive step in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

9 Jul 2026

This week, NHS England published a new Modern Service Framework (MSF) for cardiovascular disease prevention, which takes a cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic approach to improvement in patient outcomes. As the leading cause of premature mortality in England, this strategy (which outlines an ambitious 10-year vision to strengthen CVD prevention), is an important step in enhancing care to improve outcomes for millions of people.

Mission: to cut premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by a quarter within a decade” NHS England cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework

CVDPREVENT and HQIP, that commissions part of this audit’s work on behalf of NHS England, have come together to welcome this national strategy. For the estimated eight million people in the UK living with cardiovascular disease, the MSF represents an important national commitment to delivering more equitable, high-quality and consistent care. Its aim to promote evidence-led, clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment and care is of critical importance.

Chris Gush, HQIP’s CEO, explains: “This national framework is an opportunity to use our collective knowledge to save lives, but the data we already have must be the starting point.”

The MSF aligns closely the work of national clinical audits, like CVDPREVENT, that measure care and share insights to improve and save lives. Data and outcomes from these audits help care providers to identify variation, trends and opportunities in the identification, diagnosis and management of conditions. This empowers clinicians and system leaders to focus resources where they can have the greatest impact.

Dr Peter Green, Clinical Lead at CVDPREVENT, adds: “Importantly, for patients, this means earlier diagnosis, improved management of long-term conditions, and reduced risk of serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.”

As implementation of the MSF progresses, CVDPREVENT and HQIP look forward to working together to providing insights and support efforts to translate its ambitions into measurable improvements in care and outcomes for patients. In the meantime, further resources relating to the prevention of cardiovascular disease from HQIP can be found below: