A MUM has spoken of her relief that the closure of a children’s heart unit has been suspended due to a “flawed” review.
Mum-of-two Gaynor Bearder welcomed the suspension of a decision to close Yorkshire’s only children’s heart surgical unit.
Her son Joel, five, has been treated at the unit since he was born and Gaynor credits them with saving his life.
Like Joel, many other children from Huddersfield and Calderdale are treated at the unit.
However, last year an independent review suggested it should close as part of a national reconfiguration of children’s heart surgical units.
Families would face having to travel to Newcastle or Liverpool for life-saving surgery.
Yesterday Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt suspended the review after legal challenges and said the NHS’s review panel’s “engagement with the public was not as genuine as it should have been”.
He agreed that “there was a sense that the outcome was pre-determined before it started” adding: “It’s clear the campaigner’s concerns were valid.”
He said the £6m Safe and Sustainable review was based on “flawed analysis” and he has now asked NHS England to reflect on the best way forward and report back at the end of July.
Gaynor Bearder, of Linthwaite , said: “I didn’t sleep the night before, I don’t think people realise the implications of it closing, it’s daunting.
“When Jeremy Hunt started talking I was surprised how thoughtful, mature and responsive he was to other MP’s questions.
“I feel his decision proves everything we have said all along.
“I know he can’t keep every unit open and some will close, but even he says he can’t make a decision based on the information they have.
“Today I’m happy, and if we have to come back fighting we will do.”
Gaynor said she and husband Antony had kept the potential closure a secret from Joel and other son Lucas, but said they value the staff at the unit.
It was only 14 weeks ago Joel had major surgery at the Leeds General Infirmary unit and Gaynor added: “We can now put this to one side for a while and just focus on being a family, and that’s thanks to the amazing team who have saved his live so many times.”
In a statement to the House of Commons Mr Hunt said: “The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) strongly agrees with the case for change.
“However, the report also concludes that the outcome of the Safe and Sustainable Review was based on a flawed analysis of the impact of incomplete proposals and leaves too many questions about sustainability and implementation.
“This is clearly a serious criticism of the Safe and Sustainable process.”
Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney spoke of the importance of patient choice in the House of Commons debate and welcomed the news.
Sharon Cheng, of the Save Our Surgery campaign, said: “If we had not taken this (legal) action, implementation would have gone ahead and patients and families in our region would have been left with a far worse service than they currently receive.”
NHS England promised to lead a rethink to improve children’s heart surgery in England following the criticism of the review.
Dr Jacqueline Cornish, National Clinical Director for Children and Young People for NHS England, said: “It is essential that all those involved can learn lessons from the Safe and Sustainable Review and work purposefully and quickly together to find a new way forward in the shortest possible timescale.
“If we are not able to make progress swiftly, children will be the losers.”
