Skip Navigation
RSS

News

Children’s Heart “First” For Northern Ireland

Monday 26 September 2005

The NI Chest, Heart and Stroke Association, together with the children’s heart charity, Heartbeat, has announced a “first” for Northern Ireland with the appointment of a Children’s Heart Nurse at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

The NI Chest, Heart and Stroke Association, together with the children’s heart charity, Heartbeat, has announced a “first” for Northern Ireland with the appointment of a Children’s Heart Nurse at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

The new post – the Paediatric Cardiac Liaison Nurse, is designed to ease the anxiety and fear of families living with congenital heart illness.

The appointment, which has been made possible thanks to the support of the BBC’s Children in Need appeal, Heartbeat and Northern Bank, will bridge the gap between GPs and heart specialists. Many families have problems which they fear are too trivial to bother a consultant cardiologist with, but which may be beyond the scope of a local health centre. The Children’s Heart Nurse – or Paediatric Cardiac Liaison Nurse, to give the full title – is specially trained in dealing with cardiac conditions in children and young people.

Claire Hopkins, the recently appointed Children’s Heart Nurse, will be based at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, but will be available to offer advice over the phone and to visit families in their homes throughout Northern Ireland.

Brenda Fisher, who lives in Kilkeel, wishes a Children’s Heart Nurse had been in place when her daughter Chloe was born with a serious heart defect. She said: “What I needed when Chloe was so ill was an expert to call at our house to offer advice and reassurance. As a parent you can phone the hospital ward staff for support, but that’s not quite the same as having a specialist member of medical staff come to see your baby at home. If I hadn’t had my parents, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Myrtle Neill, Director of Health at the NI Chest, Heart and Stroke Association, said: “This pioneering new post will make all the difference to families. We thank all those who helped to make it possible.”

Irwyn McKibbin, Chairman of Heartbeat, said: “We are very pleased to have been at the forefront of the introduction of this post and we know many families for whom it will come as a great relief.”

Rhonda Gibson, External Relations Manager at Northern Bank, said: “ Northern Bank and its employees are delighted to have played a part in the provision of this important new post. Claire’s appointment is such a tangible outcome for our Charity Partner, NI Chest Heart and Stroke, and we know that the Heart Nurse will make such a difference to families across Northern Ireland.”

Terry Burns, of Children in Need at BBC NI, added: “BBC Children in Need is very happy to support this post because of the great value it will bring to those vulnerable families who have to deal with the distressing issues associated with this diagnosis in children.”

[BACK TO TOP]