Recent Publications
‘Making the Case for Reform in the Vascular Sector’ Report Launched
On Tuesday 17 March, the Vascular and Venous Disease All-Party Parliamentary Group (VVAPPG) launched its latest report, Making the Case for Reform in the Vascular Sector, setting out a clear roadmap for transforming lower-limb vascular care across England.
Developed over the past six months in collaboration with the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), the Royal College of Podiatry, and colleagues from across the vascular community, the report highlights the urgent need to address persistent gaps in vascular care that continue to result in avoidable harm for patients.
Vascular disease remains one of the leading causes of preventable disability and premature death in the UK. Despite major improvements in the treatment of stroke and cardiac disease in recent years, outcomes for people with peripheral arterial disease, venous disease and diabetes-related foot complications have not improved at the same pace. Delayed diagnosis, inconsistent referral pathways and variable access to specialist care continue to result in thousands of avoidable lower-limb amputations each year.
The report makes the case for a prevention-led, community-first model of care, centred on the establishment of dedicated multidisciplinary Foot Protection Services within every Integrated Care System (ICS). These services would enable earlier diagnosis, reduce travel and access barriers for patients, and relieve pressure on acute services by preventing deterioration and avoidable hospital admissions.
To support this transformation, the report identifies five priority actions for national leaders:
Fund and implement a National Foot Attack Pathway, supported by a public awareness campaign and mandated same-day or next-day triage standards.
Establish community-based Foot Protection Services in every ICS, aligned with National Wound Care Strategy Programme standards.
Introduce national maximum waiting times for vascular assessment and revascularisation, with transparent national reporting.
Reform commissioning to reward outcomes, incentivising earlier diagnosis, faster healing and fewer amputations.
Accelerate the adoption of proven innovation through mechanisms such as the NHS Innovator Passport to fast-track cost-effective technologies.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Jim Shannon MP, Chair of the VVAPPG, said:
“As Chair of the VVAPPG, I am proud of the collaboration and commitment shown by colleagues across the vascular community in developing this report, and am delighted to see it published today. I want to sincerely thank all those across the vascular community who have given their time and expertise to help shape it over the past number of months. Clinicians, patient advocates, charities and industry representatives have all come together because they recognise that the current situation for too many patients simply cannot continue.
Every year, people across the United Kingdom lose limbs because help does not come quickly enough or because access to specialist care depends too much on where someone lives. Behind every one of those cases is a person, a family and a future that has been changed forever. In many instances, those outcomes could have been prevented with earlier diagnosis, quicker referral and better coordination of care.
What this report does is set out clear and practical steps to improve that situation. Establishing dedicated Foot Protection Services in every Integrated Care System, introducing a National Foot Attack Pathway so patients are seen urgently, and ensuring consistent national standards are all sensible measures that would help to prevent avoidable amputations and improve outcomes for thousands of people.
I believe there is now a real opportunity for Government and the NHS to take these recommendations forward. With the focus on prevention and care closer to home within the 10-Year Health Plan, we have the chance to deliver meaningful change for patients, reduce pressure on hospitals and ensure that people receive the care they need before problems become life-changing.
My hope is that this report will act as a catalyst for that change. By working together across Parliament, the health service and the wider sector, we can ensure that fewer people face the devastating consequences of avoidable lower-limb amputation and that patients receive the timely, high-quality care they deserve.”
Read the report here.
Published in January 2025, this report highlights the need for consistent application of varicose vein policies across ICBs in line with NICE CG168 and EBI guidance.
The VVAPPG engaged with ICBs across the country to discuss where variation in practice is taking place, and what support ICSs and others could use to ensure best practice is being adhered to, with current pressures in mind.
The report makes several recommendations that emphasise the importance of standardisation of access to treatment for patients, and compliance with clinical guidelines, to reduce health inequalities and ensure the delivery of high-quality care to patients across the country.
Read the report here.
Branching Out: assessing patient access to varicose vein services in england
Launched on the 19th March 2024 at the VVAPPG’s Uncovering the Hidden Challenges of Vascular and Venous Disease drop-in event in Parliament.
The report analyses the range of policies in place at a national level, measures the impact of VTE prevention and examines the challenges in prevention, diagnosis and management of VTE. The roadmap to effectively tackling VTE demands collaborative efforts between policymakers, healthcare providers and healthcare professionals. The report makes recommendations to enhance patient safety and optimise healthcare resources to ensure the NHS is acting to prevent the preventable.
Read the report here.
Tackling Venous Thromboembolism:
pREVENTING THE PREVENTABLE
Published and launched 9th June 2023 at the RSM Venous Forum, the APPG’s report highlights the challenges in treating the number of patients with VLUs, and sets out recommendations for Government, NHS England, and local commissioners to ensure that patients receive appropriate care at the right time, in the right place.
In delivering these changes, the NHS could save significant amounts of money and patients would benefit from earlier interventions and better outcomes.
Read the report here.
Future of Venous Disease:
Growing Problems, Shrinking Workforce
Launched on May 10th 2023 in the Houses of Parliament, the VVAPPG’s report looks at supported self care, its application to lower limb wound health and the benefits it presents to Government, the NHS, clinicians and patients.
If implemented fully across the country, supported self care has the potential to deliver benefits for patients, clinicians, and the NHS. Giving patients support to care for themselves provides better outcomes and allows them to rely less on their health care providers and their schedules; clinicians are given more time to care for patients with more severe wound-care needs; and there can be financial savings through quicker healing of wounds, less need for clinical intervention, and savings for patients through needing fewer journeys to see clinicians.
Read the report here.
EMPOWERING CHANGE: A VISION FOR SUPPORTED SELF CARE
Published in November 2021, this op-ed is penned by Emma Hardy MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular and Venous Disease. In the piece, Emma talks about the experiences that led her to join the APPG as chair, and the excellent work being undertaken near her constituency of Hull West and Hessle to improve care and outcomes for patients. The op-ed can be found here.
Op-ed from APPG Chair Emma Hardy MP
Understanding Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Infographic
Published in October 2021 to mark World Thrombosis Day, the infographic outlines key information to understand Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE), collectively known as Venous Thromboembolism (VTE). The infographic sets out the scale of the problem of VTE and the impact the condition has on patients. An online version of the infographic can be found here.
venous leg ulcers, a Silent crisis
Published in October 2019, the report lays out a number of policy recommendations for the NHS to consider. It sets out a vision for improving the patient pathway in order to ease the high burden of this condition to the quality of life of thousands, and reduce the long term burden on the NHS. An online version of the report can be found here.
Saving lives, saving limbs
This report highlights the national amputation and ulcer challenge and provides a blue print for how this can be tackled. It was published in February 2019. An online version of the report can be found here.
A summary of the APPG on Vascular and Venous Disease regional Partnership events with Strategic Clinical Networks
In 2017-18 the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular and Venous Disease partnered with Strategical Clinical Networks (SCNs) across England to deliver four regional events on local pathways for vascular disease.
The objective of the events was to bring together the individuals involved in the design and delivery of vascular services in order to discuss regional issues and to shine a spotlight on best practice pathways that can be implemented to reduce the rate of unnecessary amputations. A report into this activity was published in 2018.