Lucy, (featured left above) one of our North West CHD Network patient representatives, recently joined the Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) outreach clinic alongside Anna Harrison, ACHD nurse specialist lead nurse for the ACHD service, (featured right above) and Dr Vas Papaioannou, ACHD cardiologist. Together, they form part of the dedicated ACHD team from Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, who run monthly outreach clinics at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to bring specialist care closer to the patients home.
Outreach Clinics
These outreach clinics mean people can access the same expert ACHD care they would receive at Liverpool Heart and Chest, but without having to travel as far. For many patients, this makes a real difference, reducing journey times, easing stress, and helping them fit vital appointments more easily into everyday life.
Lucy spent time speaking with both staff and patients, gaining valuable insight into the clinic experience. She was made very welcome by the team and by fellow patients, highlighting the supportive and inclusive environment created at these sessions.
Ensuring the patient voice is central
Importantly, Lucy’s involvement reflects our commitment to ensuring the patient voice is central to service development. Hearing directly from patients about what works well and where improvements could be made helps shape care that truly meets people’s needs. Having patient representatives present in clinics like this strengthens partnership working between services and the community, ensuring lived experience continues to inform and improve ACHD care across the region.
Thank You
We would like to thank Lucy and the ACHD team for their warm welcome and ongoing dedication to delivering high-quality specialist care closer to home