06.02.13
Leeds heart surgery closure ‘strongest option’ – JCPCT
Children’s heart services must be pooled into fewer, larger centres to improve the quality of care and patient safety, the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) has reiterated ahead of next week’s High Court case.
Parents and campaigners in Leeds have brought the judicial review arguing that the way the JCPCT made its decision on which three of 10 children’s heart surgery units should close was flawed. Leeds, Leicester and the Royal Brompton in London were the three earmarked for closure.
Safe and Sustainable, the national review of children’s heart services, said having 10 units meant expertise was spread too thinly, and that the benefits in terms of specialisation far outweighed any costs in terms of patient access to surgery, which for people in Yorkshire and the East Midlands may now be much further away.
Speaking ahead of the court hearing, JCPCT chair Sir Neil McKay said: “We listened carefully to the views of the public and of the experts in the field before making our decision, and we concluded that the strongest option for the future configuration of children’s heart surgical services did not include Leeds General Infirmary. I do not deny the right of citizens to challenge decision-makers when it is right to do so, and I know Leeds and the county of Yorkshire well – I was once chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
“I have no doubt that the Leeds General Infirmary will continue to provide high quality specialist care for children with congenital heart disease – it is only the surgical and interventional aspect of treatment that will cease. Royal colleges of medicine have welcomed our decision as one that will save more children’s lives in the future, and we stand ready to defend our process with confidence”.
The campaign group Save our Surgery (SOS) is disputing the legality of the decision to close the Leeds Children’s Heart Surgery Unit. Sharon Cheng of SOS said: “We believe that our arguments will clearly show that the JCPCT’s Review process was flawed and that they are not acting in the best interests of children.
“We understand and agree with the need to consolidate children’s heart surgery services into fewer centres of excellence. However, closing Leeds and forcing families to travel for hours makes no sense. Leeds has routinely been rated as excellent and has all the facilities needed by critically ill children and their families on one site.”
There is more on SOS’s arguments to keep Leeds open here, while the JCPCT will have a guest blog on www.nationalhealthexecutive.com this Friday.
(Image, courtesy SOS, shows a demonstration in Leeds against the closure)
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