A national quality improvement initiative to reduce deaths by 25% over the next 25 years: a collaborative approach to early detection and treatment of heart failure

#25in25

Coding isn’t optional - it’s life saving

We are delighted the recent news that the 2026/27 GP contract will, for the first time, embed “four-pillar” heart failure therapy at the heart of primary care, an important and progressive step forward for England.

As a UK-wide society, we are committed to supporting this momentum across all four nations. In particular, we recognise the critical role of informed and consistent coding in ensuring patients are accurately identified, optimally treated, and able to benefit from these advancements in care.

We look forward to working collaboratively with our members and partners to help strengthen this approach across the UK, improving outcomes for people living with heart failure. Please support our primary care colleagues in ensuring we use the correct coding for our patients.

Heart failure coding across our nations

    • HFrEF: 703272007 

    • HFmrEF: 788950000 

    • HFpEF: 446221000 

  • Northern Ireland are still on Read codes but will transition to SNOMED in the future.

    HFrEF:

    • G5yy9 - Read 2

    • XaIIq XafeB - CTV3

    • G5yy9 = LVSD (functional equivalent). XafeB = 'HF with reduced EF' — most direct CTV3 match 

    LVSD

    • G5yy9 - Read 2

    • XaIIq  - CTV3

    • These are the QOF trigger codes for HF003/HF004 (ACEi/ARB and beta-blocker indicators) 

    HFmrEF 

    • G58z. (+ free text) - Read 2

    • CTV3 - no clean equivalent

    • No Read v2 or CTV3 code maps directly. Use G58z. (Heart failure NOS) with free-text annotation, or enter SNOMED directly if EMIS supports it 

    HFpEF

    • G5yyA  - Read 2

    • XaWyi  - CTV3

    • G5yyA = LV diastolic dysfunction. XaWyi = 'HF with normal ejection fraction' — closest CTV3 match. Supporting echo code: 585g. / XaJ99 

  • Wales currently use EMIS codes but there is a plan to move to SNOMED

    • 8HBE – Heart failure follow up 

    • G58: Heart Failure confirmed (Please free text HFmrEF) 

    • G585.00: Heart Failure with reduced ejection fraction 

    • G583.00: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction 

  • Scotland is not using SNOMED at the moment, they are still on Read codes. When the transition occurs they will move over.

    • G58.. Heart failure 

    • G580. Congestive heart failure 

    • G5800 Acute congestive heart failure 

    • G5801 Chronic congestive heart failure 

    • G5802 Decompensated cardiac failure 

    • G5803 Compensated cardiac failure 

    • G5804 Congestive heart failure due to valvular disease 

    • G581. Left ventricular failure 

    • G5810 Acute left ventricular failure 

    • G582. Acute heart failure 

    • G583. Heart failure with normal ejection fraction 

    • G584. Right ventricular failure 

    • G58z. Heart failure NOS 

    • 1O1.. Heart failure confirmed 

25in25 Resource Centre now LIVE

Access our site to:

  • Use the GRASP:HF case finding tool

  • Download the data specification to use the BSH heart failure indicators in your area

  • Find out more about the heart failure indicator searches

Go to the Resource Centre

We are committed to reducing the number of heart failure deaths by 25% over the next 25 years. This would mean 5 fewer deaths for every 100 patients newly diagnosed with heart failure every year, saving 10,000 lives annually.

Since 2023, we have working with our partners and membership to develop 25in25. There are three work streams to the programme. 

25in25 Workstreams

  • We recognise the great work taking place across our sector to improve the lives of patients living with heart failure. Through 25in25, we will identify and champion adaptable projects that positively impact patient outcomes.

    Our tools and support will be accessible for all localities who wish to implement change. We continue to work with partners across the sector to identify the information, data and tools needed to drive improvements in heart failure related care.

  • By working with like-minded partners on common goals we can change the trajectory of heart failure.

    As a collective, we are committed to improve heart failure outcomes. Every partner is crucial to the success of 25in25 - we all have a role to play in achieving the change needed.

  • Through 25in25, we will campaign for necessary change to benefit those living with heart failure. We want to see a greater focus on prevention and more support to identify those at risk of heart failure in order to stop the increase of this life-altering disease.

Pilot phase

Thank you to our pilot sites - Liverpool, Birmingham, Peterborough, Swansea and Blackpool - who have provided valuable feedback to help us understand the tools and support clinicians need to better support their patients.

We have developed a bespoke set of heart failure indicators which help illustrate the state of heart failure care. Working with our sites to understand the following areas, we are identifying the tools needed to drive lasting change in our communities:

  • Detection

  • Risk

  • Diagnosis

  • Treatment

  • Quality of life

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the UK and globally, accounting for about a third of lives lost each year.

Over 1 million people in the UK have heart failure, with 200,000 new diagnoses each year. Heart failure currently takes up 2% of the entire NHS budget.

These posters and others can be downloaded in our Resources section.

Summit To Tackle Heart Failure - March 2023

The success of 25in25 is reliant on collective action - we are committed to harnessing the support of the sector to drive change. In March 2023 we held a Summit and invited expert organisations to come together to change the direction of heart failure. We committed to work collaboratively on a long-term plan to save lives.

  • All Wales Heart Failure Nurse Forum

  • Alliance for Heart Failure

  • Alliance for Scotland

  • Amyloidosis UK

  • Association of Nephrology Nurses

  • Association for the Study of Obesity

  • Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA)

  • Avec

  • British and Irish Hypertension Society

  • BACPR

  • BANCC

  • British Cardiovascular Society

  • British Geriatric Society

  • British Heart Foundation

  • British Heart Rhythm Society

  • British Heart Valve Society

  • British Society of Echocardiography

  • CaReMe

  • Cardiological Society of India

  • Cardiomyopathy UK

  • Cardiorenal Forum

  • Catalan Society for Heart Failure

  • Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland

  • Department of Health and Social Care

  • Diabetes Africa

  • Diabetes Specialist Nurse Forum UK

  • Diabetes UK

  • Faculty of Public Health

  • GIRFT

  • Global Heart Hub

  • Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology

  • Heart Failure Policy Network

  • Heart Failure Society of America

  • HeartLife Foundation, Canada

  • Heart UK

  • Heart Valve Voice

  • hFRenDs

  • Irish Association of Heart Failure Nurses

  • Kidney Care UK

  • NHS Benchmarking Network

  • NHS Wales

  • NI Chest Heart and Stroke

  • NI Heart Failure Nurse Forum

  • NI Heart Failure Warriors

  • Obesity Health Alliance

  • Primary Care Cardiovascular Society

  • Primary Care Diabetes Society

  • Primary Care Pharmacy Association

  • PRIMIS

  • Pumping Marvellous Foundation

  • Resuscitation Council UK

  • Royal College of General Practitioners

  • Scottish Heart Failure Nurse Forum

  • Society of Endocrinologists

  • Society for Acute Medicine

  • South Asian Health Foundation

  • Spanish Society for Heart Failure

  • Strategic Intelligence Alliance for Health

  • Heart Failure Hub Scotland

  • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association

  • UK Kidney Association

  • Wales Cardiac Network

The 25in25 initiative has been partially funded by grants from Astrazeneca UK and Boehringer-Ingelheim Ltd. and sponsorship from Pfizer

We are delighted to be partnered with

This initiative has been partially funded by grants from Astrazeneca UK and Boehringer-Ingelheim Ltd. and sponsorship from Pfizer