A LEADING expert in the region says more specialist nurses will soon be needed to cope with a massive increase in heart failure cases.

Dr Jim Hall, head of cardiology at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, was commenting on a study which predicts a steep rise in heart failure cases.

Although the research is based on public health statistics in Scotland, experts in the North-East say the situation here is very similar.

Researchers say cases among men in Scotland are due to increase by about a third between 2000 and 2020.

There are currently thought to be 40,000 men and 45,000 women aged 45 years or more with heart failure in Scotland and the evidence suggest the number of patients with heart disease is rising.

This is partly because the proportion of elderly people in the population is rising rapidly and they are more prone to suffering coronary heart disease and hypertension.

Another factor is that survival in patients with heart disease is improving.

The authors, led by Professor John McMurray, of Glasgow University, predicted that by 2020 there would be a substantial increase of about one third in the number of men and about one fifth in the number of women with heart failure.

Dr Hall said: "I think this study is probably an accurate reflection of what will happen over the next few decades.

"The key messages for the North-East are that we need to plan and co-ordinate our heart failure services. This is something we have been developing locally, but obviously it needs the investment of resources."

The consultant added: "One of the key areas is the development of heart failure specialist nurses.

"This has been shown to decrease hospital admissions and improve the quality of care for patients."

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "We recognise that the number of patients with heart failure is going to increase, as increasing numbers of people survive heart attacks and the population ages.

"This is why the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease identified heart failure as an area where services need further development.

"This will be one of the areas to be tackled in the next phase of implementation of the ten-year strategy to improve services for patients with heart disease."