Christmas Wishes: Local specialist nurses

Watch our full 2024 Christmas appeal video here.

“On the 10th Day of Christmas, our region really needs – Local Specialist Nurses!”

Thanks to your amazing fundraising, CHSF has been able to fund life-changing care across our region in the form of local Children’s Cardiac Nurse Specialists (CCNS). They have become an extension of the Leeds team and their hard work is valued greatly.

By theses nurses being based closer to the patients’ homes they provide seamless care between services and locations, improving the experience for patients and their families.

Our blog about KardiaMobiles earlier in the month gives one example of how support from CCNS Paula Cowgill (who appears in our Christmas Wishes video) at Calderdale Royal Hospital helped a worried family get a much-needed diagnosis.

Paula’s work in her regional clinic this year has also included:

• 69 ECGs (electrocardiograms) given to check a patient’s heart activity
• 10 patients received Kardia devices to check their heart rhythms at home
• 92 parents were directed to further support within the hospital and externally
• 151 patients got verbal and written information to help manage their condition (for instance regarding infective endocarditis, dental hygiene, diet and in one case, the basics of CPR on request from a patient’s mum)
• 7 home visits to give continuity from clinic

“Families tell me they love having a person within the hospital who can support them outside of their clinic appointments.”

Lucy Smith’s role in Rotherham is still being directly funded by CHSF thanks to your donations, and she gave us some feedback on why it proves so important. Lucy said:

“Prior to my role, patients had minimal local cardiology support outside of their PEC’s (Paediatrician with Expertise in Cardiology) normal part-time working hours. This meant they often presented to A&E, or our local Children’s Ward for advice.

 

“Now they have a contact within the hospital, patients tell me they feel more at ease if they have concerns. Questions they ask me can be related to a specific condition, or simply chasing a lost appointment in the outpatient clinic – but families tell me they love having a person within the hospital who can support them outside of their clinic appointments.

“I have frequent contact with numerous members of one family. I get the impression they love seeing myself and the PEC in clinic as they feel they receive individualised care tailored to their situation.”

Cat Brown, the Lead Nurse at the Yorkshire and Humber Congenital Heart Disease Network, manages these roles and explained how your donations pay for much more than just their salaries:

“As a network we aim to support equity and high-quality care irrespective of where patients live. The local nurse roles are pivotal to this, enabling seamless care, closer to home. I have seen first hand how these roles improve the service experience our patients and families receive.

“Your donations have also ensured the regional nurses have received extra specialist training where required and medical equipment for their patients to help them monitor and diagnose their conditions. Thank you!”

Watch our full Christmas Wishes Appeal video, featuring lots of familiar faces – including staff, patients and families! Thanks to everyone who got involved!