Proportions of patients meeting each element of NICE guidelines on HF diagnosis by cohort within 6 weeks and 6 months of first presentation to GP with HF symptoms
| NICE guideline element | 2001/2002 cohort n (%) within 6 weeks | 2001/2002 cohort n (%) within 6 weeks | 2011/2012 cohort n (%) within 6 months | 2011/2012 cohort n (%) within 6 months |
| Echocardiogram | 84 (3.0%) | 660 (9.2) | 223 (8.3) | 1362 (19.3) |
| BNP blood test | 0 | 429 (6) | 0 | 577 (8.1) |
| Referral to cardiologist | 79 (2.9%) | 870 (12.2) | 194 (7.2) | 1736 (24.6) |
BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; GP, general practitioner; HF, heart failure; NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.