Cardiac Department
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Paediatric Cardiac Nurse Specialist Service PIAG 36 (192kB)
What is the Paediatric Cardiac Nurse Specialist Service?
It is a designated team of eight senior paediatric cardiac nurses. Their common goal is to provide ongoing emotional support, information and practical advice for children and teenagers with a heart condition and their families.
The Paediatric Cardiac Nurse Specialist Team input starts at diagnosis of the condition. This can be either before or after birth development and carries on to teenage years (transition service) and transfer to adult services.
What kinds of support can the Paediatric Cardiac Nurse Specialist Service provide?
- A telephone advice line available from 08.00am-16.30pm Monday – Friday (excluding bank holidays).
- Education on heart conditions and interventions used to treat / manage them.
- Support for children and their families at point of diagnosis.
- Information about national and local support groups.
- A link with other children and families who have had similar experiences.
- Lead preadmission clinics to prepare families for cardiac surgery and cardiac catheter procedures.
- Assist families, where possible, using charitable resources to help with hospital expenses during a hospital stay.
- Support and education during your hospital stay.
- Advice and guidance on lifestyle issues.
- Advice and guidance to schools.
- Management of patients on Warfarin and run advice and dosing service for families that self – test their INR at home.
- Advice, guidance and support with feeding issues/concerns, using Cardiac Feeding Clinic input when appropriate.
- Support to empower teenagers with cardiac conditions through our Young Person’s Clinic.
- Support teenagers when making the transition into adult services.
- Provide support with bereavement.
- Support, information giving and counselling service to antenatal families.
- Liaison with the Manchester Cardiac Nurse Specialist Team to help with an equitable service across the Northwest.
Who can make a referral?
We will accept referrals from parents, extended family members, ward staff, GPs, Health Visitors, School Nurses, Community Nurses and Teachers.
Any family of a child 0-18 years old who has a congenital heart condition and is under the care of the Paediatric Cardiologists at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust can access the service.
Contact Details
You can contact our advice line on 0151 252 5291, or via Switch board 0151 252 4811 and ask for Bleep 107, Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm.
Please note that our advice line has a voice mail service. When leaving a voicemail please speak clearly and slowly and leave your child’s name, Alder Hey number, date of birth and your contact number.
Should you require out of hours advice please contact the Ward 1C telephone on 0151 252 5418.
This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.
This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
PIAG: 36