The launch of consultation

On Monday 15 September NHS England launched twelve weeks of consultation on draft standards and service specifications for congenital heart disease (CHD) services.

This will run until 5pm on Friday 8 December.

The following materials are available on our dedicated consultation web-pages.

• a consultation document, introducing the standards and specifications and setting out the key questions we are asking;
• the standards and specifications on which we are consulting, combined together in a single document;
• an easy-read version of the consultation document; and
• a reference pack which pulls together useful background information which has been published during the review to date.

An audio-visual version describing the draft standards for CHD services is also available and can be found on the NHS England YouTube channel.

In direct response to requests from our stakeholders, we have distributed a small number of printed copies of the CHD consultation document to patient groups, and a single printed copy to each Local Government and local Healthwatch body. The standards and service specifications are quite weighty and we are not routinely posting them out, but if you require a hard copy please contact us at england.congenitalheart@nhs.net.

In addition, we have created further support materials which you may wish to access for use at events or meetings, and these can be found on our website.

During the consultation period the review team will be hosting a number of open consultation events which will be suitable for all audiences. The events are designed to help those who attend to learn about and understand the standards and the changes these could mean to services. The events will be ‘exhibition style’ which will include panel displays, audio-visual materials, and team members to talk to. To view a list of these events and register to attend, please use our online booking system.

We have hired Dialogue by Design, an independent organisation with expertise in consultations, to collate and analyse responses to this consultation. Dialogue by Design were selected through a competitive tender exercise.

Thank you to every one of our stakeholders, clinical experts and other partners, whose engagement in the review process, and development of the proposed standards, has made it possible to launch this consultation.  We have only got this far because of your unstinting support.

Finally, you may find this article in the Guardian interesting.