Public urged to have say on heart plans

ROTHERHAM residents are being urged to make their voices heard to help protect and shape the future of surgery in Yorkshire for babies, children and adults born with heart problems.

Regional charity Children's Heart Surgery Fund, is staging a special drop-in event in Sheffield on Saturday to provide former patients, their families and the general public with the opportunity to feedback on a new review of congenital heart surgery in the UK.

NHS England, which is leading the review, has drawn up a set of new standards which will dictate how congenital heart surgery is provided across England, including at the Yorkshire heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary, which carried out almost 500 life-saving operations last year.

Everyone is invited to attend the drop-in session, which is taking place between 11am and 1pm at Quakers Hall, 10 St James's Street, S1 2EW.

It will include a brief presentation and a video to enable people to learn more about the new standards, with an opportunity for everyone to feedback their views and thoughts on the proposed changes.

The UK-wide public consultation will close at 5pm on Monday, December 8.

Following public feedback, it is expected that new standards will be finalised during 2015/16 for delivery in 2016/17.