People in Bradford are being urged to help make sure heart patients remain at the top of the Government’s health care strategy.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is calling on people to sign a petition demanding a new Government plan to support people affected by heart and circulatory conditions in England.

People can sign the petition in local BHF shops or online at newheartplan.org.uk.

Heart and circulatory disease is the UK’s biggest killer, claiming the lives of around 200,000 people each year in the UK.

Every six minutes someone dies from a heart attack and in West Yorkshire the BHF estimates that 1,295 people died prematurely from heart disease in 2008, including 321 in Bradford.

The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease for England comes to an end in 2009/10 and there is currently no plan to replace it.

Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the BHF said: “This isn’t a ‘job done’ – heart disease remains the UK’s biggest single killer and the Government mustn’t be allowed to take its foot off the pedal on this.

“If that happens the undoubted progress we’ve made in recent years will unravel. Heart patients deserve better.

“Stroke and cancer groups have plans and the Government has just published its new dementia strategy. The two million heart patients in England have every right to ask where’s ours?”