Support for heart unit from local MP

BOSWORTH MP David Tredinnick visited Glenfield Hospital to show his support for the under-threat specialist heart unit.

He took a tour of the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), ward 30 and the outpatients department giving him some insight on how the service works, as well as the chance to meet the care team, and more importantly, the patients.

Mr Tredinnick’s appearance comes as the hospital trust waits to hear its fate under proposals from NHS England to stop heart surgery being performed at the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre (EMCHC).

A 24-week consultation period has ended with NHS England now tasked with deciding on its plans.

The EMCHC identifies and treats patients with congenital heart defects (a fault in the structure of the heart and vessels which is present at birth).

The unit consists of services to treat children and adults, which include a dedicated children’s cardiac ward, PICU/ ICU, theatre, catheter lab and outpatient department.

The centre is also home to the internationally-renowned ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) service, which treats some of the sickest babies, children and adults in the country, making it the busiest centre in the UK.

Mr Tredinnick said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to visit the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre at this crucial time.

“It is always very humbling to see the amazing work undertaken by the medical and support staff at the heart centre. Their excellent treatment and care for so many very poorly children is a testament in itself to just how vital this highly specialised facility is for the East Midlands.”

Chairman Karamjit Singh said: “We are pleased that Mr Tredinnick and the other East Midlands MPs continue to give such tremendous support to us as we await an outcome to the consultation process. We hope the continued attention of the East Midlands MPs to our cause will bring about a speedy and successful outcome.”

NHS England say the centre is not meeting standards designed to ensure continued expertise quality of care - chiefly due to the amount of operations being carried out which are under target.

Bosses at University Hospitals Leicester maintain they are on track to meet the target and provide some of the best care in the country with excellent outcomes.