This petition was submitted by Sharon Owen, having collected a total of 3,092 signatures.

Text of Petition:                     

12 people under the age of 35 die suddenly every week in the UK, from a heart condition that could have been detected with a heart screening. 80% of these deaths show no prior symptoms.

Cardiac arrest has a 7% survival rate. Since making heart screenings compulsory in Italy for all sports players, sudden cardiac death has decreased by 89%.

Owen Morris, 13, died suddenly during rugby training in Cardiff from an undiagnosed heart condition that may have been picked up in a screening.

Additional Information:

1/300 heart screenings pick up a potentially life threatening issue which can then be managed or treated.

Owen Morris' story: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/friends-family-welsh-schoolboy-who-7361218

Chris Morse, 33, was immediately sent to hospital after a heart screening "It will take a matter of minutes and could undoubtedly save your life, as I am sure it did for me." Chris' story can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50635370

Ben McDonald, 25, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at the Cardiff Half Marathon. Ben's mum, Ruth McDonald, wants people in Wales to have access to free heart screenings to help prevent sudden cardiac death.

Here at Calon Heart Screening Wales we have to charge for heart screenings. However, we want funding from the government to be able to provide free heart screenings for those aged 11-35 who take part in sport for their school, county or country. See more about our charity here: www.heartscreening.wales.

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 24/01/2022.

The Committee considered the correspondence received from the Welsh Government and the British Heart Foundation and agreed that there is little more the Committee can do to take the petition forward.  The guidance issued by the UK National Screening Committee does not recommend the screening called for in the petition. Members agreed to thank the petitioner for raising this important issue and close the petition.

Full details of the consideration of this petition by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 01/11/2021.

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Cardiff West
• South Wales Central

Further information

• The Petitions Committee homepage
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