Contacting your MP to let them know about your experience is a really powerful way of raising awareness. We are grateful to all CRY supporters who email their MP or arrange to see them at their surgery, to talk about the issue of young sudden cardiac death and cardiac conditions in young people.
Sharing your stories about why you are supporting CRY helps to explain the devastating impact that young sudden cardiac deaths have on the family, friends and community.
Hearing from young people who have been diagnosed with a cardiac condition, or who have attended a CRY screening, is also important.
It is vital that MPs hear directly from their constituents, as well as from CRY.
How do I contact my MP?
You can find your MP, as well as their contact details, at www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/.
What should I ask my MP to do?
CRY is urging MPs to pledge their support for the development of a National Strategy for the Prevention of Young Sudden Cardiac Death to help save young lives. The UK needs a national strategy to ensure the guidelines and policies to prevent young sudden cardiac death are consistent. The first stage of a national strategy should be to correctly acknowledge the incidence and impact of these deaths.
More information about the pledge, as well as a list of MPs who have already pledged their support, can be found at www.c-r-y.org.uk/my-pledge.
If your MP has not yet signed the pledge, please ask them to pledge their support either by emailing [email protected] or by tweeting: Today I pledge #MPsupport4CRY to establish a national strategy to prevent #YSCD to help save young lives #12AWeek
If your MP has already signed the pledge we would still urge you to contact them about this issue to tell them your story and the impact a young sudden cardiac death has had on your family, friends and community. Continuing to engage with MPs will help demonstrate the true impact of a young sudden cardiac death.
CRY All Party Parliamentary Group
There is a CRY All Party Parliamentary Group, with the purpose of promoting amongst parliamentarians the issue of cardiac risk in the young; to inform policy decisions and public debate relating to CRY; and to enable communications between interested parties and relevant parliamentarians.
You can find the list of MPs who are members of the All Party Parliamentary Group at www.c-r-y.org.uk/about-us/parliament/.
If your MP is already a member of the group, you could let them know that you are aware that they are a member of the CRY APPG and that this is an important issue to you. We hold an annual general meeting of the CRY APPG and it would be fantastic if you could encourage your MP to attend.
If your MP is not a member of the APPG, you could encourage them to join so that they are kept in touch about any future meetings or discussions. They can join the APPG by contacting the Chairman of the group, Kevan Jones MP.
What are some of the key messages to raise?
Every week in the UK at least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die from an undiagnosed cardiac condition.
In 80% of young sudden cardiac deaths, there are no symptoms prior to death.
Cardiac Risk in the Young believe that all young people should have the choice to have their heart screened.
CRY screens approximately 30,000 young people every year.
1 in 300 people who CRY screens has a potentially fatal underlying cardiac condition.
1 in 100 people who CRY screens has a condition which is less serious but may cause problems by their 4th decade if left untreated.
Cardiac conditions in young people can be treated, in some cases even cured, through lifestyle modification, medication and/or surgery.
CRY believes there should be a National Strategy for the Prevention of Young Sudden Cardiac Death, to help to save young lives. Policies and guidelines must be consistent. The first stage would be to properly acknowledge the incidence and impact of young sudden cardiac death.
Most importantly, your MP needs to hear your personal reason for contacting them, and the impact this issue has had on you.
Local media
If your MP signs the pledge to support a national strategy, CRY’s press office will issue a press release to the local media outlets. If you would be willing to provide a quote about why it is important to you that your MP has supported the pledge, please email [email protected].
Preventing young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research, and supporting affected families.
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