WE need to have a say on children’s heart services The long-awaited review of children’s congenital heart services in England has now been published and a public consultation is currently under way. It is essential that local people have the opportunity to understand what the changes may mean for them and to make their views known.

If we are to achieve the best possible care for children with a congenital heart condition, it is imperative that the young people and families in Hampshire who will be affected by any changes are given plenty of opportunity to ensure their views are heard.

Just weeks into the consultation process, we find that places at the public meetings are limited with events planned for this area being fully booked and no prospect of further meetings being announced. We do not consider that this is fair despite the NHS’s undertaking that public consultation is the most important way in which local people are able to influence the outcome of the review.

The importance of face-to-face discussion through public meeting events is heightened by the fact that both the consultation document and the response form are exceedingly complex, making it challenging for those without a health or clinical background to understand them.

If people are put off by the prospect of completing the response form because of the way it is arranged, the value of the consultation process can only be adversely affected.

We have written to the NHS outlining our concerns as we believe these are fundamental to achieving effective public consultation. Readers will also be interested to know that the Health Overview Scrutiny Committee at the County Council, which is a statutory consultee in this process, will be meeting to consider the proposals for changes in the way children’s heart services are provided ahead of submitting our formal response to meet the 1 July 1 deadline.

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CLLR PAT WEST, Chairman, Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee