News

Since the inception of Heart Valve Voice, it has always been our intention to be a charity that promotes awareness of the condition, give a voice to those who have experienced it and improve the structures that determine the quality of care that patients in the UK receive. We have worked with policymakers throughout the past six years. Still, forming an All-Party Parliamentary Group for Heart Valve Disease was a watershed moment for heart valve disease patients in the UK. The report they have now published is a platform for policy change. 

Earlier this year, a group of heart valve disease patients were asked by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Heart Valve Disease to share their experiences of valve disease treatment with the group. During the evidence session, the patients were asked about detection and diagnosis of the condition, as well as access to treatment and the information they were provided with. Angie Martin was invited to share her experince, after being diagnosed with heart valve disease as a child and treated during the Covid outbreak

This year, Heart Valve Voice launched our 100,000 Conversations campaign with the aim to start a national conversation about the signs and symptoms of heart valve disease. As part of the campaign, we have invited everyone effected by heart valve disease to join us and #TalkValveDisease. This month, Leighton Hospital's Cardiology Team set up a stand in the hospital to #TalkValveDisease and listen to hearts.

I decided to contact my MP after seeing Heart Valve Voice's #JustTreatUs campaign and thought it important to share my story and the stories of other valve disease patients. So that evening, I reached out to my local MP, Tim Loughton. I was really surprised to receive a reply in just a few hours, as I’m very aware of how busy MPs are. I was thrilled that he got back to me and wanted to help support the #JustTreatUs campaign.

We're delighted to announce that Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, has joined our 100,000 Conversations campaign to raise awareness of heart valve disease. As part of his conversation, Henry, sat down with the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Heart Valve Disease, Steve McCabe MP, and Heart Valve Voice CEO, Wil Woan.

The first week of June is Volunteers' Week across the country, an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. The past 18 months have placed an extraordinary strain on the sector, but I have been overwhelmed to see how the country has come together to support charities that have struggled financially while the demand for their services has increased significantly.