Today it has been announced there are intentions to create a joint partnership between Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and King’s Health Partners, to create a global centre of excellence for heart and lung medicine and research, providing the best possible patient care and experience.   

It is intended that part of this collaboration will be based at the St Thomas’ Hospital and Evelina London Children’s Hospital site – a new purpose-built clinical academic facility, providing a world class service for heart patients, both children and adults.

King’s Health Partners comprises Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital (which includes Evelina London), King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts and King’s College London. The planned partnership (which will include the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust) will bring together the specialist skills and expertise from all of the organisations involved to create a centre of excellence for current patients and future generations.

Further information is available on the Guys & St Thomas’ Hospital website.

ECHO is pleased to see that services will remain focused on patients and their families. We will work with Evelina London when patient’s and parent’s representation is needed and have already been involved in planning meetings linked to the building of Evelina 2, as well as the move of cardiac services to the sixth floor within Evelina London, and also to discuss the issues with the current appointment system.

The proposed new build of Evelina 2 will add to capacity and provide the needed space for such a center of excellence. Today’s announcement demonstrates this is the agreed future direction for all the hospitals involved, and this partnership is in line with submissions made to the NHS England consultation.

In addition, NHS England will be announcing its recommendations on the 30^th November 2017, and with these announcements timescales will be required for all hospitals providing cardiac services throughout England to meet the new standards. ECHO has already experienced a higher number of calls from parents whose children are treated at other hospitals across the UK looking for support and information about surgical outcomes at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Our message to ECHO members – any proposed changes will not be happening at speed and there is no cause for concern.

Any changes will need to be planned accordingly and it is not envisaged that these intended changes will interfere with or cause problems for patients currently under the care of Evelina London Children’s Hospital. This is the future direction of the hospital over the next 5-10 years, and ECHO will consider this in the planning of our own services and support to heart families.

We appreciate that ECHO members are facing potential change, but rest assured ECHO will work with our members to ensure their voices are heard throughout any planned and implemented changes.

Evelina London Children’s Hospital has been rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, the organisation responsible for ensuring that health and social care services in England provide safe, high-quality care. Any planned changes at Evelina London will seek to ensure continued high-quality excellent care for current and future patients as part of this joint collaboration.

If you have concerns or questions please contact us via email or by telephoning the ECHO office: hello@echo-uk.org 020 7998 4710