'Patients are paying a terrible price for delays that pile further pressure on NHS'

'Patients are paying a terrible price for delays that pile further pressure on NHS' Behind these alarming figures are families facing avoidable suffering, permanent damage and the devastating prospect of losing loved ones Heart failure warning Thousands of lives are being put at risk because the warning signs of heart failure are being missed until patients are desperately ill. The devastating 52% rise in hospitalisations over the past decade exposes a health system struggling to detect a potentially deadly condition before it becomes a medical emergency. More than a million Britons are living with heart failure, yet too many discover the terrible truth only when they are fighting for breath. The British Heart Foundation warns much of this suffering could be prevented. With diagnoses expected to double by 2040, the consequences of continued inaction are frightening. Patients are paying a terrible price for delays that pile further pressure on an NHS already stretched to breaking point. Behind these alarming figures are families facing avoidable suffering, permanent damage and the devastating prospect of losing loved ones. We urgently need better access to tests, faster diagnosis and treatment before patients reach crisis point. The NHS cannot afford to ignore this warning. Neither can the Government. Time to right wrongs Britain played a shameful role in the slave trade, trafficking millions of Africans across the Atlantic and growing rich from their misery. That terrible injustice demands more than expressions of regret. King Charles was right to confront Britain’s past at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, expressing his profound personal sorrow over the horrors of slavery. His acknowledgement that the trade still casts a shadow over Caribbean nations was both powerful and necessary. But the King’s most important message was his determination to address historic wrongs through action. That means investing in education, creating opportunities and helping countries still struggling with the consequences of exploitation. Britain has a responsibility to acknowledge the wealth it gained from slavery and help build a fairer future. Word of the year The kids are at it again, leaving the rest of us looking hopelessly out of touch. “Mogging” - the act of outshining someone - is Collins’ word of the year, proving youngsters are running rings around us. Frankly, we’d rather they learned to load the dishwasher.