NHS Western Isles welcomes Tiny Tickers’ ‘Think HEART’ Online Course for Health Professionals

NHS Western Isles has welcomed the launch of an online learning course for health professionals called ‘Think HEART: Know the signs of a potential congenital heart defect’.

The course was launched by ‘Tiny Tickers’, a small charity dedicated to improving the early detection and care of babies with congenital heart disease (CHD).

A baby is born with a serious heart condition every two hours in the UK. However, not all congenital heart defects can or will be detected during routine prenatal scanning or before discharge from hospital. Some babies are at risk of falling into the early stage of heart failure if their condition is not diagnosed in time, and some will not survive long enough to receive the treatment that could save them. Tiny Tickers wants to change this.

The ‘Think HEART’ course, designed for health professionals working with babies, including midwives, doctors, nurses, and health visitors, aims to teach the five key signs that a baby may have an undiagnosed heart defect. This innovative program addresses the critical need for early detection of congenital heart defects, potentially saving lives through timely intervention.

The charity launched the programme at the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Annual Conference in Liverpool this month, by offering GP delegates free access to the course in return for their ‘pledge’ to educate themselves about the potential signs of undetected CHD, advocate for babies with CHD by encouraging their health professional colleagues to Think HEART and empower new and expectant parents by helping them learn about their baby’s heart health.

Jon Arnold, CEO at Tiny Tickers, said: “Every year around 240 infants die with congenital heart disease before reaching their first birthday. We want to change that, and we know detecting CHD as early as possible can help save lives. The Think HEART pledge is a straightforward way for any health professional to signal they are committed to helping these infants, and our new digital course is a great way for them to ensure they are considering CHD when assessing a baby. We’re hoping as many health professionals as possible sign the pledge and take the course – and that more babies with poorly hearts get the treatment they need; when they need it.”

The course was funded by Finlay and Ruth Macleod, in memory of their son, Finlay Eric, who tragically passed away when he was almost five months old from an undiagnosed heart defect. The family has raised almost £40,000 in Finlay Eric’s honour, and is passionate about ensuring other babies with cardiac conditions receive a diagnosis as soon as medically possible. 

Finlay and Ruth said: “We want to thank all who have donated to Tiny Tickers in Finlay Eric’s memory. Your donations have given us the privilege of creating a lasting legacy for our beautiful boy, with the lifesaving aim of educating families and health professionals alike to ‘Think HEART’. Finlay Eric is loved and sorely missed every moment of every day, and we treasure every precious memory of our time together. It gives us some comfort in the midst of our heartache to know that we can give hope to families throughout the UK in Finlay Eric’s name”. 

Key features of the course include:

• Online accessibility, allowing flexible learning for busy health professionals
• Engaging content featuring presentations and real-life examples
• Interactive quizzes to reinforce learning
• Focus on practical skills for identifying signs of heart defects in babies

The ‘Think HEART’ course is available from the 3rd October and can be accessed by taking the pledge here.

NHS Western Isles welcomes this life-saving online resource and will be encouraging staff to undertake the training.

NHS Western Isles Chief Executive Gordon Jamieson, said: “My thoughts are with Finlay Eric’s family. Sincere thanks for what they have achieved. This is a vital resource for any health professional working with young babies – including doctors, nurses, midwives, midwifery support workers, health visitors and others – teaching the key signs that a baby may have an undiagnosed heart defect. Timely detection can improve a baby’s chances of survival and their longer term quality of life – and this course helps health professionals to ensure that heart defects for those babies in their care are detected and treated as early as possible. We would like to sincerely thank Tiny Tickers, and Finlay and Ruth Macleod, who funded the course in memory of their precious baby son, Finlay Eric, who tragically passed away from an undiagnosed heart defect. This lasting legacy has the potential to save many lives, providing vital education to families and health professionals.”