Highest number of cardiac procedures carried out in our children's services

Figures published in the National Congenital Heart Disease Audit for 2022/23 show that our teams at Evelina London Children's Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital carried out the most paediatric procedures for congenital heart disease across England, Wales and Ireland. 

This was the first time the figures for our combined paediatric cardiac service (children's heart services) at Royal Brompton Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital have been published.

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust merged in 2021, bringing together the two organisations' excellent congenital heart disease services. The following year, the paediatric teams based at Royal Brompton Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital came together under one management team, working increasingly together as one service.

In 2022/23 our teams carried out more than 1,300 procedures on neonates, infants and children with congenital heart disease.

This included:

• 598 surgical procedures
• 472 interventions
• 106 EP (electrophysiology)/pacing/ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) procedures
• 124 diagnostic catheters

Overall, this was a 9% increase in paediatric congenital heart disease activity carried out at the two hospital sites on the previous year. Procedures for patients in their first year of life (neonates and infants) was up by 18%, and infants alone by 24%.

Dr Marilyn McDougall, clinical director for cardio-respiratory and intensive care services within Evelina London Women's and Children's Clinical Group said: "The figures published reflect the incredible hard work and dedication of everybody involved in the care of babies and children working in our specialist cardiac services at Royal Brompton Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital. I'd like to thank them all for everything they do, day-in, day-out, to support families who need us.

We have excellent teams working at both of our hospitals, who work together as one service, and this can only benefit the babies, children and families who need our specialist care.

The National Congenital Heart Disease Audit is published annually and is part of the National Cardiac Audit Programme. Data is published for the UK and Ireland (excluding Scotland, which has its own audit programme).