Hundreds speak out on heart care

Public consultation on future of cardiac service

HUNDREDS of people have already voiced support for Glenfield’s heart unit in a public consultation on the future of specialist cardiac services.

Some of the 1.200 responses received by NHS England in the first weeks of the dialogue have been from people backing the continuation of care from the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre.

The statutory consultation is taking place because NHS England chiefs believe some hospital trusts which run top level heart units across the country, including University Hospitals Leicester (UHL), are not meeting, and likely will not meet, the standards expected.

For Glenfield this centres mainly around the number of expert surgeons and the amount of operations they perform so as to ensure and safeguard quality.

NHS England say they are minded to withdraw contracts for specialist heart care at the EMCH, but UHL bosses disagree and a campaign is well underway to try and reverse this stance.

John Adler, UHL chief executive, said: “We have had confirmation from NHS England that they have received over 1200 responses so far to the national consultation of which over 700 have come from the East Midlands.

“This is fantastic news and shows that our efforts to ensure as many people as possible understand the consultation proposals and have their say is working. We know we have many more responses to be submitted but it is still very important that you also have your say.”

Given the complexities of the proposals and the required background knowledge the trust is offering drop-in sessions to help guide people who want to submit their opinion.

The sessions are availa- ble at Glenfield Hospital reception Monday to Thursday between 9am and 4pm and at the restaurant at Leicester Royal Infirmary on a Monday and Wednesday from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Sessions run until June 2.

Information required to complete the consultation can be found at: www. eastmidlandscongenitalheart.nhs.uk/consultation/