Former GOSH patient in exhibition celebrating 75 years of the NHS

The exhibition, ‘Love and Charity: A History of Giving in the NHS’, celebrates the vital role charities have played throughout health service history, and how their contribution has helped make the NHS what it is today.

Paul, a Church Minister and Sound Technician from Leeds features in the exhibition alongside high-profile supporters of the NHS including actor Michael Palin, and footballer Jordan Henderson.

Paul was born with a heart condition called Truncus arteriosus – when there is just one large artery leaving the heart instead of two. This means that too much blood goes to go the lungs and too little oxygenated blood reaches the rest of the body, leading to difficulties breathing.

After his initial diagnosis in 1967, when he was just a few months old, Paul’s local hospital referred him to GOSH. At the time, clinicians could only offer a palliative operation that would help relieve the symptoms of the condition for as long as possible.

Eight years later a GOSH surgeon introduced a new operation called the Rastelli Procedure after working with international colleagues. This meant Paul’s condition could now be treated.

Paul is thought to have been one of the first in the UK to have this operation, when he was just eight years old. At the same time as the Rastelli procedure, surgeons also closed a hole in Paul’s heart.

The operation on Paul’s heart was a success, and his care at GOSH continued until he was 17 years old. During this time, he had further treatment at GOSH, including valve replacement surgery.

Paul now has treatment at Barts hospital in London. His consultants also work at GOSH and care for children and young people with congenital heart conditions, like Paul’s.

GOSH is a specialist centre for many heart conditions which children are born with, also known as congenital conditions. Our cardiac imaging team receive referrals from across the UK and the world.

If diagnosed, the mum is referred for a more detailed cardiac scan at a specialist centre such as GOSH.

Once the child is born, the GOSH clinical physiology team helps support children with their conditions. They perform ultrasound scans of the heart, known as echocardiography, which allow them to visualise the structure of the heart in incredible detail and understand what surgery would best help a treat the condition.

Extensive imaging of the heart is also taken ahead of surgery, including 3D imaging to visualise the structure of the heart. This technique is beginning to be being introduced during surgery too, so that the teams have the most detailed images throughout the procedure.

After surgical repair these imaging techniques are used, and patients, like Paul, are followed up throughout their life to help better understand how their heart changes over time and improve surgical outcomes for future children.

‘Love and Charity: A History of Giving in the NHS’ has been led by NHS Charities Together in collaboration with photographer Rankin.

It is on display at the Saatchi Gallery in London and is free to visit between 31st May – 11th June. Find out more about visiting the exhibition here.