Young people across Yorkshire wanting to take part in the consultation on proposals to change children’s heart services will be able to respond via a new text service set up by Safe and Sustainable – the NHS consultation on children’s congenital heart services.
Safe and Sustainable is also launching a young person-friendly summary of the consultation document – ‘Better care for your heart – a summary’ – which is designed to provide easy to read information about the proposals for change.
It has put forward four options for a four-month public consultation period completing on 1 July 2011, with the LGI unit featuring in only one option.
Fiona Smith, Adviser in children and young people’s nursing at the Royal College of Nursing and a member of the Safe and Sustainable Steering Group, said: “This review is about providing the best services for children and young people. Who better to tell they us what they think than the young people using this service? This is a very real consultation and the NHS want young people, whether someone with a congenital heart condition, brother, sister or friend, to have their say. The summary launched today is designed specifically for young people and the text service is free of charge so get texting and tell us what you think!”
Responding to the consultation couldn’t be easier with the new text service – young people can text ‘HEART’ to 85001 free of charge and will be sent a question asking them for their view on the proposals for change.
Texting ‘HEART’ is just one of the ways young people can take part in the consultation. Young people have been invited to discussion groups in London, Birmingham and York and will have the chance to attend a number of focus groups around the country. They can also attend any one of the consultation events taking place in 12 locations across England and Wales. Alternatively, they can fill out a response form online.
Young people across the region are also invited to attend a young person’s discussion group where they can have their say about what they want from children’s heart services in the future.
The discussion group will be held at the Royal York Hotel on Saturday 14 May 2011 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. There a few places left. To register, please visit www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/safeandsustainable
