Annex A > Chapter 16 - Support and Counselling > Introduction

Introduction

1 Support, counselling and, in the case of the death of a patient, bereavement services were available to parents of children who received paediatric cardiac care at Bristol, both at the BRI and the BRHSC during the period of the Inquiry's Terms of Reference. These services were provided by a variety of individuals and bodies. Many were UBH/T staff who did not have a defined, or named, role in providing support or counselling but who nevertheless came into regular contact with patients and their families.

2 Others had a defined role in providing this service, namely the Bristol & South West Children's Heart Circle, the UBH/T Chaplains, the Social Work Department and those responsible in the UBH/T for responding to bereavement. During the period of our Terms of Reference two posts were created at UBH/T. The first post, that of Counsellor in Paediatric Cardiology, was taken up by Mrs Helen Vegoda in January 1988. The second post, that of Cardiac Liaison Sister, was held by Miss Helen Stratton from November 1990 until February 1994. [1] As will be seen later in this chapter, Mrs Vegoda and Miss Stratton had different roles.

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Footnotes

[1] The two posts were given various titles, see later in this chapter