Final Report > Chapter 9: The Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Service in Bristol > Parents at the BRHSC and the BRI > The Bristol & South West Children's Heart Circle

The Bristol & South West Children's Heart Circle

50 Mrs Jean Pratten founded the Bristol & South West Children's Heart Circle in 1972 `to help parents of children with heart disease help one another'. [48]

51 The importance of the role of Mrs Pratten personally and of the Heart Circle was considerable. From 1972 Mrs Pratten attended the cardiac unit at least once a week to offer support to families and staff.

52 Before 1978 families of children undergoing surgery who were from outside Bristol stayed in bed and breakfast accommodation. However, in 1978 a small house belonging to the hospital was made available and was refurbished and furnished by the Heart Circle. A year later the house next door was taken over, followed a short time later by a third house, making 12 rooms available in all. One of the houses was for the use of families whose children were in the Cardiac Surgery Unit. The Heart Circle also financed the provision of two bedrooms along the corridor from the Cardiac Surgery Unit for the use of parents.

53 The Heart Circle gave grants of money to families with significant need when, for example, their child was in intensive care for a prolonged period of time; provided furniture for a nursery; negotiated the conversion of a store room into a quiet room for parents and provided the furniture; set up a kitchen for parents and provided a washer-dryer; and within the Intensive Care Unit, made a designated area for children, and provided cots and other furniture and portable telephones; published an information booklet for parents with the support of the BBC's Children in Need; provided two caravans at Burnham-on-Sea to allow parents or families to take subsidised free holidays; and made a video for parents to introduce them to the Unit.

54 Between 1984 and 1995, the Heart Circle contributed £708,000 towards providing items of medical equipment to the hospital. For example, they contributed £25,000 towards the purchase of a Doppler echocardiography machine at the request of Dr Jordan in 1992.

55 The Heart Circle also played a major role in the development and funding of the posts of Mrs Vegoda and Miss Stratton.

Footnotes

[48] WIT 0269 0001 Mrs Pratten