Understanding our clinical outcomes
Understanding more about the outcomes of surgical and catheter
procedures at Bristol.
There is a national requirement for all specialised centres in
the UK that treat children with congenital heart disease to submit
data on their outcomes of surgical and catheter procedures. This
outcome data is submitted as part of the National Congenital Heart
Disease Audit (NCHDA), which is then independently administered and
analysed by the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes
Research (UCL NICOR).
This information will tell you the overall numbers and the
overall percentage chance of early (within 30 days) survival of the
more common procedures carried out for congenital heart disease in
the whole of the UK. The following link here will give you a general account
of the audit and this link here takes you to the
congenital cardiac portal and the centre level information.
The NICOR data shows that Bristol continuously delivers good
results. We know this because 30 day survival data for children who
have undergone heart operations in Bristol lies within the expected
range for the risk stratified population that we serve.
NICOR publishes data annually with data for the 2013/14 period
currently being validated. This is expected to be published early
in 2015.
The data, however, are not able to tell you the precise risk
involved in a specific operation or procedure. This is dependent on
the individual patient's circumstances such as age, general health
and the specific detail of the heart abnormality. Your child's
cardiologist or cardiac surgeon will be able to discuss these
factors with you.
We also think it is important to tell you about the specific
clinical results of our consultant and clinical teams responsible
for your child's care. You will be given time to discuss treatment
options with your child's heart specialist (cardiologist) - Please
feel free to ask us if you have any questions - this will help you
to fully understand the treatment being offered and the risks
involved before you give your consent.
Information about congenital heart disease and a wide range of
general advice for patients, families and professionals can be
found on our Children's Cardiac Resources and Support page here.
Finally, further information and advice for adults living with
congenital heart disease in the UK can be found on the Somerville
Foundation website: http://www.thesf.org.uk/
