Disclaimer: This sponsored episode of Beatwise has been independently developed and produced by Beatwise, with financial support from Bayer. Bayer has no role in speaker selection or in developing the content. This episode is strictly non-promotional and contains no discussion or reference to prescription-only medicines.
In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I speak with Helen Kilminster about a topic that may not sound exciting at first but has huge implications for patient care: heart failure coding.
We explore why accurate NHS coding is about far more than administration. The way heart failure is identified and coded influences everything from disease prevalence and service planning to funding, workforce, and access to specialist clinics. In particular, we discuss why heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains under-recognised despite accounting for around half of all heart failure cases.
Helen shares her experience working in primary care, describing how audits, weekly data tracking, and careful review of investigations such as echocardiograms and NT-proBNP can help identify patients who may otherwise be missed. We also discuss the challenges of variable discharge summaries, the importance of clear communication between primary and secondary care, and how better coding can support earlier diagnosis and more proactive management.
Finally, we explore how these ideas align with the NHS 10-Year Plan, including community-based care, technology-enabled monitoring, integrated neighbourhood teams, and whether concepts such as \"pre-heart failure\" coding could help identify high-risk patients before they develop advanced disease.
Key issues addressed:
Whether you work in primary care, secondary care, or have an interest in heart failure services, this episode highlights why improving identification and coding is fundamental to delivering better care for patients.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:00 Coding sounds boring... but it isn't
01:05 Meet today's guest
03:02 Why HFpEF gets missed
03:26 The reality of heart failure audits in primary care
06:01 Complex patients need joined-up pathways
08:24 The cost of inaccurate coding
10:02 Community screening and awareness initiatives
12:53 How the NHS 10-Year Plan could transform care
16:24 How secondary care can improve coding and communication
20:08 Why discharge summaries matter
24:03 Could \"pre-heart failure\" coding improve prevention?
26:24 Helen's elevator pitch for improving heart failure care
28:12 Wrap up and final thoughts
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