Over the last few years, as the number and the complexity of paediatric cardiac operations has increased, it has been realised that the overall improving results in the management of congenital and acquired cardiac disease, from the newborn period to adulthood have reflected improvements in many fields. To mention a few, we can cite improvements in the accuracy of pre and postnatal diagnosis, better surgical techniques and myocardial protection, better understanding of post-operative physiopathology, the availability of new drugs and strategies for mechanical assistance, and the introduction of revolutionary techniques in interventional cardiac catheterisation. All of this would certainly not have been possible without an intense multidisciplinary effort. This important interaction between paediatric and adult cardiologists, surgeons, intensivists, anaesthetists, research staff, nurses, perfusion technicians, psychologists, physiotherapists and other specialised staff has allowed us genuinely to share and respect each other's expertise as we seek to provide optimal care to our patients. Our driving force has been, and always will be, the quality of care we provide to our patients and their families. The advantages of such interdisciplinary collaboration are nowadays considered mandatory as we seek to achieve these goals, to the extent those training in paediatric cardiology in North America are now expected to rotate through the arena of cardiac intensive care, and may even fully develop comprehensive dual skills in both cardiology and intensive care.

I believe that, in Europe, there is also room, as well as a legitimate need amongst our members, for the promotion and facilitation of teaching, research, and training within this philosophy of care, and that this task would properly be fulfilled by the establishment of a specific group within the Association for European Paediatric Cardiology, in association with other professional European and international societies committed to this field, such as the European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care. I am most pleased, therefore, to announce that the proposal to develop a working group on paediatric cardiac intensive care, which would actively seek to establish links between the different professionals and associations involved in the field, and to promote a multicentric effort in this direction, has been approved by the council, and subsequently by the general assembly, of the Association for European Paediatric Cardiology. The by-laws regulating the activities of the group are already being written, focussed on developing projects within the Association for European Paediatric Cardiology, and also beyond its boundaries. The general aims are listed in Table 1. All interested members are kindly invited to join these efforts, and to provide us with their thoughts and proposals. We anticipate our first meeting in a forthcoming event, with the objective of approving the by-laws and electing a council that, in my view, could be made up of a chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, and two council members, all to serve for a period of four years. I have high hopes that we will be able to thrive in such a multidisciplinary fashion, establishing a broad fund of knowledge in multiple fields, aiming for the sharing of good practice for the benefit of our patients and their families.

Table 1. General aims of the working group on paediatric cardiac intensive care.