Cardiovascular disease (CVD) costs the Greater Manchester system an estimated £2.5bn per year, according to a new report published by Health Innovation Manchester (HInM). While this presents a major population health challenge, the report underlines the addressable opportunity to make rapid improvements through the deployment of proven innovation.  

The report, completed independently by Frontier Economics, HInM and NHS Greater Manchester, provides a comprehensive analysis of the financial and human impact of CVD, considering not only the burden on the NHS and social care but also the broader societal impact. This includes reduced quality of life, the strain on informal caregivers, and economic losses from higher sickness rates and decreased employment. 

Greater Manchester faces a particularly acute challenge, with the region experiencing the highest death rate from CVD in England – over twice the national average. The disease claims nearly 5,500 lives annually in the area, leading to an estimated loss of over 63,000 years of life. 

In 2024 alone, the total annual burden is estimated at £2.53 billion. This includes £472 million in healthcare costs, £432 million in social care, and over £1.1 billion attributed to reduced quality of life and premature mortality. Informal care provided by family members adds a further £213 million in opportunity costs, and lost productivity from illness or premature death contributes another £309 million. Costs translate to an average of £13,700 per patient, with costs significantly increasing for people with multiple conditions. 

The findings also reveal disparities in CVD prevalence across demographics and communities. CVD disproportionately affects older populations, with prevalence rates as low as 0.3% among individuals aged 18–19, rising sharply to 22.8% among individuals aged 70 and increasing further with age. Additionally, the disease impacts those living in more deprived areas, where prevalence is significantly higher across all age groups compared to more affluent communities. 

These disparities highlight the urgency of addressing CVD as a public health priority. The condition has been designated as a clinical priority in both the NHS Long Term Plan, the NHS Greater Manchester Multi-Year Prevention Plan and the HInM Strategy 2024-27. It is now recognised as the single most significant area where lives can be saved over the next decade. 

The report looks at the strong correlation between high-risk conditions such as hypertension and an increase in prevalence of CVD and lifestyle factors like smoking and physical inactivity that place people at a higher risk of having CVD. 

Encouragingly, the analysis suggests that reductions in prevalence could result in substantial savings – a 5% decrease could save the system £126 million annually, a 10% reduction would yield £253 million and a 20% reduction would result in savings of over £0.5bn. 

HInM has now launched an ambitious innovation programme to help tackle the impact of cardiovascular related diseases across Greater Manchester, with a focus on bringing the best of global innovation to the city region through strategic partnerships between health, care industry and academia. The programme includes projects focused on mobilising evidence based approaches to addressing conditions including heart failure, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and obesity.  

Laura Rooney, Director of Strategy at Health Innovation Manchester, emphasised the importance of the work, stating: “The health economic analysis provides vital insight into the full impact of cardiovascular disease in Greater Manchester, showing it is both a major population health and productivity issue. But by focusing on prevention, early detection, and improving care by harnessing innovation, we can make a demonstrable difference to the lives of our local population, help to reduce the cost burden to the NHS and contribute to economic growth.” 

Dr. Claire Lake, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at NHS Greater Manchester said: “In Greater Manchester, prevention is one of our priority strategic areas. Many cardiovascular diseases are preventable: therefore, we are working across the breadth of prevention to influence lifestyle factors (such as smoking) that place people at increased risk of developing CVD; the earlier detection and treatment of the high risk conditions that lead to CVD (such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol) and the optimisation of established cardiovascular disease to help people stay well. This report demonstrates why this work is so vital by describing the high – yet preventable – cost that CVD has for people and their families, to the NHS and to society.” 

Nick Woolley at Frontier Economics said: “Economic analysis of CVD is vital to help inform healthcare planning and resource allocation. Our report shows that CVD generates significant costs to individuals, the NHS and the local economy of Greater Manchester. We also explore the potential benefits from successful preventive or treatment interventions. We hope this analysis will guide innovation in patient pathways for CVD, improving health outcomes while reducing economic burdens.” 

The report is available online – please click  ‘The costs of cardiovascular disease in Greater Manchester” to read in full.