Children’s Heart Surgery Fund receives £5,000 grant to help save lives of children in Leeds

The Sovereign Health Care Community Programme has awarded £5k to Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) towards a life-support monitor for the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit (LCHU).

The monitor will be used to further develop the LCHU’s life-support service - known as ECMO (Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation).

ECMO is used when a patient has a critical condition which prevents the lungs or heart from working normally.

The system artificially pumps oxygenated blood around the patient’s circulation, supporting their life until the patient can recover or receive alternative therapy.

Clinical Perfusion Manager Andy Nichols said: “This essential monitor will provide more detailed information during life-support than can currently be captured.

"ECMO is only used in a small number of hospitals around the UK. Our ambition is to be recognised as a national paediatric ECMO centre. The benefits are that more children from our local area and beyond can receive live saving treatment at Leeds.

"This equipment has the potential to improve health outcomes and decrease the mortality rate for the sickest young patients with complex congenital heart defects treated in intensive care while suffering from respiratory and/or heart failure.”

Nearly all ECMO performed at Leeds is on children, with at least half of these on new-born babies.

The duration of life support from ECMO can range from a few days to a few weeks, with machine and patient working together.

Russ Piper, Chief Executive at Sovereign said: "CHSF plays a vital role in the provision of life saving medical equipment and it’s rewarding to know our donation towards the ECMO life support monitor, can make such a difference to the heart health of children in the region.”

CHSF is a self-funding charity who have supported the LCHU since 1988 with grants for life-saving medical equipment, parent accommodation and ward facilities.

The LCHU is the region’s specialist congenital heart unit treating 17,000 babies, children and adults from across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire each year.

CHSF’s CEO Sharon Milner added: “Children’s Heart Surgery Fund are hugely grateful to Sovereign Health Care for their donation towards the ECMO Landing Monitor.

“The extra data given by this new monitor will help the world-class LCHU make the best decisions for the care and treatment of their sickest patients.”