A FURIOUS mum has branded the move to suspend children’s heart surgery at Leeds as “underhand”.

On Wednesday, Gaynor Bearder was celebrating winning a two-year battle to save the unit at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).

An NHS review had earmarked it for closure, but a High Court judge ordered a new consultation after a legal challenge from campaigners Save Our Surgery (SOS) proved the review had been flawed.

But late on Thursday, just 24 hours after the court victory, NHS chiefs dramatically swooped in and closed the unit.

The doors were shut after Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of NHS England, claimed its mortality rate was double the national average.

Sir Bruce said two surgeons had phoned him on Tuesday and an “agitated cardiologist” had called him on Wednesday, the day the unit was saved, forcing him to act.

Gaynor, whose five-year-old son Joel has twice had life-saving heart surgery at LGI – including a double valve switch operation just three weeks ago – said the news had left her “livid”.

The Linthwaite mum said she had met hundreds of families in the ‘heart community’ over the past six years and none had ever complained about standards at LGI.

“If there had been complaints and high mortality rates you would imagine that would have come out during the two year battle,” he said.

“To pull it out of the hat and come and shut it down the day before Easter and while parliament is in recess is shoddy.

“It’s underhand – it stinks.

“It’s like David and Goliath – Goliath lost so they’ve come out with all guns blazing.

“I think these claims will be proven unfounded.”

Gaynor said she thought Sir Bruce should resign.

“I don’t think they’ve followed protocol,” she said.

“It’s overly dramatic to do it at the 11th hour, the day before Good Friday.

“It’s shameful and a disgrace to the NHS.”

Children who would have been treated in Leeds will be sent to other hospitals around England.

Gaynor said some of her friends, whose children had been due to have surgery at the unit in the next few weeks, were devastated.

One of those, Kerry Singleton, from Doncaster, said her seven-year-old daughter, Sienna, was near the top of the waiting list.

She said she had been waiting since mid 2012 for her third operation at the unit.

Kerry said: “There’s no words I can use to describe how I’m feeling.

“It’s one step forward with the court victory and now this.

“I do have my suspicions, there’s something not right about it.

“It’s a complete nightmare, but we will prove them wrong.”

She added: “I’ve got every faith in that hospital.

“Sienna’s got complex problems and they’ve saved her life twice when she was six weeks old and when she was two.

“I don’t want anybody else operating on her.

“Why should they move her anywhere else when they’ve got Gold Standard care already.”

Health chiefs believe children’s heart surgery should be concentrated at fewer, bigger clinics, in a bid to develop expertise.

Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman said he thought the timing of the suspension was suspicious, but said he had been persuaded by comments from Sir Bruce, a former surgeon, that it was the right thing to do.

“If there is a problem then let’s get it sorted,” he said.

“The most important thing is that we get the very best treatment.

“If people can persuade me that having too many centres meant we couldn’t guarantee that then I would be convinced.

“But I’ve always believed Leeds is up there, as good as anybody.

“We’ve got three weeks to sort it out, but I think Leeds should stay.”