HEART surgery campaigners have been given a boost after hearing a vital piece of patient research will now determine the fate of a Yorkshire unit.
Huddersfield families are among those who have spoken out in a survey asking parents which hospital they would choose for their child’s life-saving cardiac surgery if the unit at Leeds General Infirmary was to close.
The results show an overwhelming majority would opt to travel to centres at Liverpool or Birmingham instead of the recommended Newcastle site.
It comes as a major review of children’s heart surgery services – including the LGI unit – is currently being carried out across the country.
The ‘Safe and Sustainable’ review – commissioned by The NHS Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts – is considering a number of proposals and is due to make a final decision on July 4.
A number of units – including the one at LGI – are under threat.
It has now pledged to take the new research into consideration.
Linthwaite mum Gaynor Bearder – whose four-year-old son Joel had life-saving heart surgery in Leeds – was delighted to hear parents’ concerns were being taken into account.
She said: “This is all we have wanted all along. It is the common-sense approach we have been waiting for.
“Finally they have started to realise if people are not going to go where the recommendations state and travel the distance, there is no foundation in keeping Newcastle open.
“Once people assert their own choices, keeping Newcastle open will not be sustainable.
“It is just phenomenal that this is now being taken into account.
“We are the largest heart unit outside London and this gives us hope that it could be saved.”
The Leeds unit – which treats many Huddersfield families – provides services to 5.5 million people, with a population of 14 million within a two hour drive of it. The research – carried out by Price Waterhouse Coopers – now casts doubts over whether Newcastle’s unit would be able to carry out the 400 operations a year needed for its skills to be considered ‘Safe and Sustainable’.
Director of the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, Sharon Cheng, said: “With patient choice enshrined at the heart of the NHS’ constitution and the fact that many parents have clearly told us that it is not feasible to travel to the unit in Newcastle, I believe our case to retain the unit in Leeds is stronger than ever.
“Even if decision makers completely ignore the concept of patient choice, Newcastle will still struggle to get the number of patients it needs.
“We want everyone to know that we will not give up this fight and even if the decision goes against us we will continue to fight to retain the unit at Leeds by seeking judicial review.”
