Chloe SmithMP for Norwich North
Chloe SmithChloe Smith MP attended a British Heart Foundation (BHF) event in Parliament this week highlighting their life saving research.
The MP for Norwich North joined heart patient Emily Sullivan, 8, for a science lesson to highlight the importance of charities being able to continue funding medical research.
Emily has had three open heart surgeries after being born with three large holes in her heart, a condition that more and more people are surviving because of BHF research.
Chloe joins thousands of people across the UK who will be wearing red on February 6 for Wear It. Beat It. to help the BHF continue to fund life saving research. Chloe climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in 2006 raising funds for the BHF.
Medical research charities, like the BHF, rely on government investment to pay for the indirect costs of research, such as lighting, electricity and heating for laboratories.
Without government support, the BHF’s ability to fund world class research to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) would be significantly reduced.
Chloe said: “Charities are an essential part of the UK medical research environment and the science budget is vital to supporting their research.
“By funding the day-to-day running of science facilities, the government has helped researchers concentrate on finding the next life saving cure.
“If we are to prevent and treat devastating conditions like cardiovascular disease in places like Norwich we need continued investment in pioneering research and to guarantee the future of the science budget. I urge Norwich people to give generously too."
For every £1 charities spend directly on medical research, the Government pays 26p to help fund the indirect costs.
The BHF is calling on the next government to maintain the current ring-fencing of the science budget and to commit to future increases.
A quarter of all deaths in the UK are caused by CVD and there are an estimated seven million people living with the condition. For over 50 years the BHF has pioneered research that has transformed the lives of millions of people living with CVD. The BHF is the largest independent funder of cardiovascular research and invests over £100 million every year.