Campaign to spare youngsters travel ordeals for surgery

Patients and their families could face journeying hundreds of miles to Newcastle, Liverpool or the Midlands after Leeds Children’s Hospital was included in only one of four options being considered in plans to reduce the number of surgical centres from 11 to six or seven in England.

Experts say the move will lead to safer services and ensure doctors can maintain expertise in line with recommendations after the Bristol heart scandal in the 1990s.

A report by Professor Sir Ian Kennedy ranked services in Leeds as 10th out of 11 in their ability to meet new standards of care. About 300 children undergo heart surgery in the city each year.

Sharon Cheng, director of the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund charity in Leeds, said: “Parents across Yorkshire will be horrified to hear that the future of children’s heart surgery services in the region is under threat. If it is allowed to happen it will impact not only on the thousands of families whose children have benefited from life-saving surgery and often require ongoing care, but on the thousands of people who may rely on that life-saving expertise in the future.

“We hope parents, grandparents and anyone else who cares about ensuring the best possible healthcare for our children will make their feelings known.”

Amanda Bell, of Barnsley, whose 19-month-old daughter Tanesha needed heart surgery aged only five weeks, said: “If children are travelling long distances for emergency surgery it’s too risky. There’s also the cost and there would be no support from family and friends. I can’t understand why they would close Leeds when it covers such a big area.”

Peter Belfield, medical director at Leeds, said it was “very disappointing” it featured in only one of the options, and added: “We know Leeds compares well with any of the other services in the country and we now need to make sure that we get our case across in the strongest possible terms and ensure people across Yorkshire are aware of the risk of losing this vital regional children’s heart surgery service.”

Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn has tabled a House of Commons motion supported by cross-party MPs calling for the Leeds unit to be retained.

Sir Ian said there was a need for people to put aside particular interests in favour of the greater good. His team found many examples of “commendably high commitment and dedication by talented NHS staff”.

“But we found exemplary practice to be the exception rather than the rule. Mediocrity must not be our benchmark for the future.”

The options are now subject to a four-month public consultation.