Adult congenital heart disease: time for a national framework

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common inborn defects, occurring in approximately 0.8% of newborn infants. Adults with congenital heart disease are the beneficiaries of successful paediatric cardiac surgery and cardiology programmes across the United Kingdom. Had it not been for surgical intervention in infancy and childhood, 50% or more of these patients would have died before reaching adulthood. This success story of medicine has created a significant population of young adults, who require lifelong cardiac and non-cardiac services.1 Many of them face the prospect of further surgery, arrhythmia intervention and, if managed inappropriately, an increased risk of heart failure and premature death.