Booking for the Cardiac Risk in the Young free heart screenings in Ealing, sponsored by Tom and Claire’s Fund, open tomorrow from 3pm. They will become available here.
The screenings are open to anyone aged 14-35 and will take place at Ealing Trailfinders Sports Club on Sunday, 26th July. Full details are on CRY’s booking page.
Please note that all available appointments are frequently booked up within an hour of opening.
If you have any questions, please contact CRY here. Neither we nor Ealing Trailfinders Sports Club can help with queries.
I’m delighted that Jess Brown-Fuller, my MP in Chichester, has signed CRY’s pledge calling for a national strategy for the prevention of sudden cardiac death among young people. You can read more about CRY’s pledge here.
Jess has also tabled the following written parliamentary questions:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has explored the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnostics.”
“To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to cardiac screening for young people.”
It’s terrific that Jess has taken such an interest and it’s much appreciated.
In March, Jess sponsored an Early Day Motion which highlighted the importance of CRY’s recent large-scale study, showing that heart checks save lives, and also of campaigns to raise awareness about cardiac risk in young people.
Worthing Golf Club’s new men’s captain, Tim Dunn, has chosen Tom and Claire’s Fund and CRY as his charity for the year.
Tim’s stint as captain kicked off on Sunday, 22nd March, with a ‘drive-in’, a traditional ceremony in which the captain hits a ball off the 1st tee to start his year. A large crowd of members, family and friends watched.
“I am looking forward to a very exciting twelve months ahead,” said Tim, “CRY means a great deal to me due to the loss of my wife’s cousin’s son, Tom, from an undiagnosed heart condition.
“I am therefore delighted to support this amazing charity and hope I can raise sufficient funds to host a screening session at the golf club for members, children and grandchildren.
Tim’s wife, Hannah, said “I am thrilled that Tim has chosen to raise funds for CRY during his captaincy.
“The charity is very dear to me as I sadly lost my cousin’s son, Tom, due to his undetected heart condition, and later lost my cousin, Claire. So, this is in loving memory of them both, Tom Clabburn and Claire Prosser.
“I have previously raised funds for CRY by skydiving and abseiling, which was both terrifying and exhilarating. My efforts this year will be a little more sedate!”
Paul Clabburn said: “Ellen and I are deeply touched that Tim is supporting CRY, and we also appreciate the work Hannah is putting in behind the scenes.
“We have fingers and everything else crossed that Tim has a bumper year and manages to fund a screening at the club. It would be a wonderful achievement.
“Whatever happens, we’re very grateful to both Tim and Hannah for doing so much to raise awareness of undiagnosed heart conditions and cardiac screening.”
#cardiacriskintheyoung #CRY #12aweek
Friends and family turned out to support TimWorthing Golf Club is raising funds for both CRY and GuildCare, a social care charity based in Worthing.Tim gives his acceptance speech.Read More
You may have already read about CRY’s latest research analysing what happened to more than 100,000 young people screened between 2008 and 2018.
As summed up by CRY: “One in 300 young people screened and evaluated by CRY’s cardiac experts were identified with heart conditions that could have fatal consequences, if left unmonitored and untreated.
“More than 40% (41%) of those diagnosed went on to receive significant ‘risk-reducing’ interventions including implantable defibrillators, pacemakers, cardiac ablation surgery, and, in 2 cases, heart transplantation.”
This ‘major research paper” has been welcomed in an Early Day Motion tabled in Parliament, which is great news. Paul’s MP, Jess Brown-Fuller, is one of the sponsors. Among other points, the motion “raises the importance of this report given the statistics that 12 young people die each week due to an undiagnosed heart condition.”
Hopefully, it will raise awareness among other MPs.
Meanwhile, the UK’s National Screening Committee (NSC) is reviewing the evidence for heart screening for young people and is due to open a public consultation in the Spring.
It seems about time, given you can read the following on the Sudden Cardiac Death page of the NSC website: “Next review estimated to be completed: 2023 to 2024.” Since 2023, 1,800 more young people will have died of undiagnosed heart conditions.
The NSC now has the new report to consider, although it’s striking that CRY’s figure of one in 300 young people screened being found to have a significant heart condition has been known since at least 2012. The NSC chose to ignore this in its reviews of 2015 and 2019.
But to end on a positive note. Our next free heart screenings for young people aged between 14-35 will be held in Ealing in July. Keep an eye out for details nearer the time.
As ever, we are grateful to all of you who have supported us with donations. It’s your money that keeps the screenings going. We know from experience that screening saves lives.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t signed the Ayling family petition yet, calling for a national screening programme, you can do so here.
