HEALTH chiefs who will decide whether to close the Yorkshire children’s heart unit will “carefully” consider a further option to keep it open.
Campaigners have been putting their hearts into a bid to save the region’s children’s heart unit, which is at risk of closure as part of a nationwide review.
And they’ve come up with an Option E, which they believe would save the unit and provide better care than the four consultation options – A to D.
A spokesperson for the NHS Safe and Sustainable team said all evidence, including the Option E, will be “considered carefully”.
There’s just eight weeks to go until the decision on the future of the heart surgery unit at Leeds General Infirmary is made.
The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) is stepping up its bid to save the unit and supporters believe Option E would mean patients would face reduced journey times, give the provision of high quality care and deliver multiple services under one roof and be easily accessible.
If the unit closed, Huddersfield children with heart problems would have to travel to Newcastle or Liverpool.
Sharon Cheng, Children’s Heart Surgery Fund director, said: “No decision has yet been made. It is not too late for members of the public to have their say on a matter which affects so many children in and around Yorkshire.
“The unit in Leeds provides an exemplary service and has proven vital in saving the lives of countless children.
“The loss of the unit in Leeds would cause a big hole in the heart of Yorkshire children’s heart surgery and we need all the support we can get to save our surgery.”
The facility currently provides services to a population of 14 million within a two-hour drive of Leeds.
There are 11 children’s heart surgery units in the UK but the NHS Safe and Sustainable team is proposing to reduce the number to either six or seven.
However, Leeds only remains in place under one of the four consultation options – an option cutting the number of units to six and one of the least favoured across the country.
A spokesperson for Safe and Sustainable told the Examiner: “During consultation we offered four different configuration options for the public to consider. However, throughout consultation we encouraged people to share their ideas for further configurations.
“All evidence, including the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund’s ‘Option E’, will be considered carefully by the JCPCT before a decision is made later this year.”
To see what the heart unit means to those whose lives have been saved by it, watch the video at www.examiner.co.uk
Option A – seven surgical centres – Freeman Hospital, Newcastle; Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool; Glenfield Hospital, Leicester; Birmingham Children's Hospital; Bristol Royal Hospital for Children; and two centres in London.
Option B – seven surgical centres – Freeman Hospital, Newcastle; Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool; Birmingham Children's Hospital; Bristol Royal Hospital for Children; Southampton General Hospital; and two centres in London.
Option C – six surgical centres, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle; Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool; Birmingham Children's Hospital; Bristol Royal Hospital for Children; and two centres in London.
Option D – six surgical centres – Leeds General Infirmary; Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool; Birmingham Children's Hospital; Bristol Royal Hospital for Children; and two centres in London.
