Heart Failure Masterclass | Heart Failure Unfiltered Podcast Ep 1

Heart Failure in Primary Care: Why Training, Early Diagnosis & GP Confidence Matter | Masterclass Podcast

Why is heart failure still being missed in Primary Care—and what can we do about it?

In this Heart Failure Unfiltered Masterclass episode from the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, Nick Hartshorne-Evans explores one of the most critical challenges in cardiovascular care:

👉 The role ofPrimary Care training in improving heart failure diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes

This episode brings together frontline insight to examine how knowledge, confidence, and education directly impact patient lives.

🔍 In this episode:

Why heart failure remains difficult to recognise in Primary Care

The most common knowledge gaps among GPs and nurses

How confident clinicians feel in diagnosing heart failure early

The risks to patients when knowledge is inconsistent

How training improves consultation behaviour and decision-making

⚠️ Early diagnosis & treatment

The impact of education on time to diagnosis

Reducing delays in NT-proBNP testing and echocardiography referral

Why early optimisation of medication matters

How training can reduce avoidable hospital admissions

💬 The patient perspective

What confident clinicians mean to people living with heart failure

Improving conversations about prognosis and self-management

Reducing patient anxiety through better communication

Building trust through knowledge

⚖️ Equity & variation

Tackling unwarranted variation in care

Improving recognition of HFpEF and HFrEF

Identifying heart failure in women and older adults

🚀 Looking ahead

Should heart failure education be mandatory in Primary Care?

The role of multidisciplinary learning

What the system could look like by 2030 with the right investment

💡 If heart failure mortality exceeds many cancers, why aren’t we investing in Primary Care knowledge with the same urgency?