Moving forward together in the care of our patients and our teams: from the past to the future

We have inherited a great legacy from those who have gone before us. The last century has witnessed some of the most dramatic innovations in paediatric cardiac care from some of the greatest hands and minds ever to enter the field of medicine. Advances continue to accelerate with breathtaking technical innovations being made in all areas related to paediatric and congenital cardiovascular care. Nonetheless, despite these innovations, it is widely recognised that even under the best of circumstances, we clinicians persistently lag behind in incorporating this new scientific knowledge and innovation into our work routines, the so-called translation gap. 1,2 This article will examine what else can be done to further develop our programmes, so that together we can better contribute to innovations, embrace new technologies, and shorten the pipeline between new scientific knowledge and innovative, excellent clinical care. And by doing so, we will optimally build on the legacy of those who have gone before us.