The key aim of the Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Network is to support the provision of high quality care for CHD patients across South Wales and the South West, in line with the requirements of the NHS England CHD standards. The CHD Network is both mandated and funded by NHS England. It is hosted by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation (UHBW) Trust.
The Network’s vision was refreshed in 2025 through the development of Beyond Compliance: Vision 2025–2035, setting out an updated strategic direction for the next decade.
The Network’s 2025-2035 vision is to be a Network whereby:
High quality standardised care is delivered in all centres, led by the latest clinical developments, including seamless care between paediatric and adult services.
There is equity of access to services and equitable outcomes, regardless of geography.
There is a strong and sustainable CHD workforce across the Network.
There is a strong patient and parent partnership with representation from a variety of socio-economic and ethnic groups.
A culture exists of fostering research, innovation, and digital integration.
The Network’s key objectives are:
To provide strategic direction for CHD care across South Wales and the South West
To monitor and drive improvements in quality of care
To support the delivery of equitable, timely access for patients
To support improvements in patient and family experience
To support the education, training and development of the workforce within the Network
To be a central point of information and communication for Network stakeholders
To ensure it can demonstrate the value of the Network and its activities
NHS England Standards for CHD Care
NHS England is th
e commissioner in England for specialised health services, of which Congenital Heart Disease is one. NHS England has outlined the standards of care that providers of CHD services should meet in order to deliver high quality care to patients. This is a long document, that defines exact standards of care for each type of hospital in the Network (Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3) in various areas such as staffing and skills; facilities; communication with patients etc.
NHS England Congenital Heart Disease Standards and Specifications (2016)
The CHD Network is part of a group of seven operational delivery networks in the South West that are funded and report into NHS England. These networks have been set up to help coordinate care pathways across hospitals to ensure patients have consistent, equitable access to specialist resources and experiences within their clinical area across the region.
The CHD network brings together clinicians, managers, patient/family representatives and commissioners across South Wales and the South West to work together supporting patients with congenital and paediatric acquired heart disease and their families.
In the autumn of 2020, a Memorandum of Understanding was drafted by NHS England that describes the role and purpose of networks, and the expectations on organisations that form part of it. This enables all parties involved to be clear on what their role is, and it shows a clear commitment of those signed up, to work together to ensure safe and effective services for patients and their families.
