Foxes favourite heads hospital heart group

LEICESTER CITY legend Alan ‘The Birch’ Birchenall has become patron of the Leicester Cardiac Surgery Research Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) group.

Club ambassador and former player Birchenall, a favourite with foxes fans, becomes figurehead for the group, which runs as a partnerhip between the University of Leicester, Leicester’s Hospitals, members of the public and patient volunteers.

Headed by Professor Gavin Murphy, the group will review applications for new heart surgery studies, suggest areas for future research, attend public events, engage with social networking, and help promote Glenfield Hospital as a centre for excellence for lifesaving research.

Professor Murphy, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Leicester’s Hospitals and British Heart Foundation chair of cardiac surgery in the Department for Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester, said: “We are honoured that Alan has accepted the position of patron of the Leicester Cardiac Surgery Research PPI Group.

“His first-hand experience of our services, together with his charity work campaigning for defibrillators in public places, means that Alan is perfect for the role.”

Mr Birchenall said: “It’s an honour to be asked to be the patron of this group.

“I’m living proof of how important it is for people to be involved in and know about heart surgery research so we can save more lives in the future.”

In 2016, he suffered a cardiac arrest at an awards ceremony and was treated by medical staff in the audience using a defibrillator, before being taken by ambulance to the Glenfield Hospital to be treated by heart specialists.

For more information about the Cardiac Surgery Research PPI group contact Sue Page at sp504@le.ac.uk