To date I have attended the first five User Engagement events set up by the Commission led review team. The Events aim to ensure that users of the service have up to date information about the Review process and an opportunity to ensure that their concerns are heard by the decision making team.
The information that we are being given is that No Unit will close and that there will be an inpatient facility at every unit. The changes being discussed, and no decisions have yet be made, is that some units will no longer offer surgery or interventional cardiac catheterisation.
All Units will have a full Cardiology service, a ward where sick children can be managed and all the equipment and staff needed for diagnosing and medically treating children.
The Planned Process
The review team who have been visiting all the units will report to the National Commissioning team in July.
The Commissioning team, 10 regional commissioners, will then work together to ensure that they offer the best service that this country can provide not only for the present but also for the future. The commissioning team will present their preferred recommendation for change and then some other smaller recommendations in October.
All users of the service will have an opportunity to make their views known during the three month consultation process that will follow the stated recommendations.
Final decisions will be made in the early part of 2011.
Little Hearts Matter is supporting the process for change because there is a great need to ensure that every child born with single ventricle heart disease, where ever they are in England , has the chance of life and the chance of as good a quality of life as possible.
Once the recommendations for change have been made LHM will respond.
If it is clear that the service provision is not going to meet the needs of a majority of LHM families then the charity will not support the changes BUT if the plan shows clearly that the survival of the children and the ongoing support of the children will be well served by the changes then LHM will support the move for change.
Little Hearts Matter does not support anyone hospital during the review and engagement process, although the charity understands individual members will support their own hospital.
If change is to come it is important that LHM has an unbiased view that looks at the need for a world class service for every child born in England.
With best wishes from Suzie