Andrew Bridgen MP visits Glenfield Hospital
Andrew Bridgen MP has visited Glenfield Hospital to find out about the range of cardiac services offered and the latest update on the proposal to move children’s cardiac services.
The cardiology department is recognised as amongst the leading UK centres. It provides a 24 hour primary angioplasty service. It was the first unit in the UK to perform a percutaneous aortic valve replacement procedure. The electrophysiology unit has a well developed radiofrequency ablation service and is pioneering the use of robotic technology.
Andrew met with Adrian Stanley, Consultant Physician , Luci Blackwell, CBU Manager, Doug Skehan, Divisional Director for Acute Care/Consultant Cardiologist and Giles Peek, Consultant Cardiothoracic surgeon and toured the unit and was told about the latest techniques being used to treat patients which included visiting Europe's largest extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centre is based at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
Glenfield Hospital is the only ECMO centre in the UK which treats adults and is used when a patient has a serious condition which prevents the lungs or heart from working normally. Babies, children and adults are treated at the centre for reversible acute respiratory or cardio-respiratory disease.
Andrew also spoke with Adrian Stanley about the next steps the hospital are taking to appeal the safe and sustainable review group’s decision to move children’s heart surgery to Birmingham.
Following the visit Andrew said ‘It is clear that we are blessed to have such a fantastic Heart Unit located within the county. There is a lot of impressive and pioneering work being carried at Glenfield particularly in the ECMO centre’
Turning to the decision to move children’s cardiac services to Leicester, Andrew said ‘ The team at Glenfield are putting together a strong case as to why children’s cardiac services should be retained in Leicester. Having had time to study the recommendations, there are a number of questions that have arisen from the review. The decision has to be based on patient outcomes and if it can be challenged that outcomes would suffer for this change, then it must be looked at again.’
Photo: Adrian Stanley, Consultant Physician , Luci Blackwell, CBU Manager, Doug Skehan, Divisional Director for Acute Care/Consultant Cardiologist and at the end is Giles Peek, Consultant Cardiothoracic surgeon.
