PFD report

Noura HARDY · Prevention of Future Deaths report

Pin Get email alerts Request correction

Issued 18 Jul 2024•West Sussex, Brighton and Hove

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

View original report
Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
2

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 2 recipients

Stated actions
3

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

Open published report

Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Excessive waiting lists for heart treatment
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

Actions described in response An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.3

  1. Action

    Achieve the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by the end of the parliamentary term.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 1 August 2024.
  2. Action

    Provide additional regional and national support and scrutiny to trusts with the largest backlogs of long-waiting patients.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 1 August 2024.
  3. Action

    Work towards eliminating NHS waits exceeding 65 weeks by September 2024.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 1 August 2024.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.1

  1. Position

    The complication could have occurred regardless of the waiting-list duration, weakening the premise that the delay caused the death.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Excessive waiting lists for heart treatment

Wider context from the report

“In addition to her heart difficulties, Ms. Hardy had taken steroids for a long period of time for temporal arteritis. She was put on a waiting list for her heart treatment in June 2022 but not treated until March 2023, nine months later. The evidence of the Cardiac Surgeon ████████ who gave evidence at the Inquest was that the long term steroid use significantly weakened her heart muscles such that she suffered a perforation which subsequently led to her death. If she had been treated earlier, the muscles may not have been weakened to such an extent that she died. The local Trust (UHS Foundation Trust) assures me that waiting lists for heart treatment are now between 9 and 22 weeks which is reassuring. However I am still concerned about waiting lists for heart treatment being too long and consider this a national problem. Excessive waiting lists for heart treatment can be fatal. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Achieve the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by the end of the parliamentary term.

Verbatim wording from the response

“I want to assure you that tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for this government, as we get the NHS back on its feet. We have committed to achieving the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT), by the end of this parliament.”

Source location

Response from DHSC
Page 1 · response
Published 1 August 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Provide additional regional and national support and scrutiny to trusts with the largest backlogs of long-waiting patients.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We recognise that it is unacceptable that some patients are waiting 9 months for definitive cardiology treatment. The NHS and Department are providing additional regional and national support and scrutiny to the most challenged trusts with the largest backlogs of long waiters and will continue to work towards the target in NHSE’s 24/25 planning guidance to eliminate waits of over 65 weeks by September 2024.”

Source location

Response from DHSC
Page 1 · response
Published 1 August 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Work towards eliminating NHS waits exceeding 65 weeks by September 2024.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We recognise that it is unacceptable that some patients are waiting 9 months for definitive cardiology treatment. The NHS and Department are providing additional regional and national support and scrutiny to the most challenged trusts with the largest backlogs of long waiters and will continue to work towards the target in NHSE’s 24/25 planning guidance to eliminate waits of over 65 weeks by September 2024.”

Source location

Response from DHSC
Page 1 · response
Published 1 August 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The complication could have occurred regardless of the waiting-list duration, weakening the premise that the delay caused the death.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The consultant explained in his evidence that cardiology waiting times were longer due to the hangover effect of covid, and that Ms. Hardy suffered a complication which could happen regardless of the waiting list times. Waiting time information on the NHS My Planned Care website states the current waiting times are: - First outpatient appointment – 24 weeks. - Waiting time for treatment (outpatient or inpatient) – 23 weeks.”

Source location

Response from DHSC
Page 2 · response
Published 1 August 2024

Open published response
Back to top

Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026