Website of the Department of Health

The NHS Plan set out a ten year strategy to build a fairer, faster and patient-centred NHS through a sustained programme of investment and reform. A discussion paper published on 6th December 2001 sets out the next stages in the Government's plans to increase the number of operations that the NHS can carry out; to reduce waiting times and to give patients a much greater influence over the time and place of their treatment. A further document giving information and advice on establishing the heart surgery scheme was published on 6th March

Over the past few months Roger Boyle, the National Director for Heart Disease held a series of regional roadshows to support the implementation of the pilot scheme for extending choice to heart surgery patients. At the roadshows NHS Trusts asked for standard letters and a patient leaflet to send to patients. These are now available below:

These documents can be tailored to local circumstances. Printed versions of the leaflet, with a pocket for including locally appropriate materials, will be sent to Cardiac Centres shortly.