A SCRUTINY group representing Kirklees Council has called on the Government to act over plans to close the children’s heart surgery unit in Yorkshire.

The Regional Joint Health Scrutiny Committee has formally referred the decision on children’s congenital cardiac services to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt.

Clr Elizabeth Smaje, Kirklees Council’s representative on the Regional Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, said: “The Committee’s referral to the Secretary of State has been made following detailed and lengthy consideration of the decision not to include Leeds as a children’s cardiac surgical centre.

“The committee was unanimous in its view that this decision is not in the best interests of children and families across Yorkshire and the Humber.

“I now hope that the Secretary of State and Independent Reconfiguration Panel will fully consider our report, which sets out the impact of the changes to local people in this area.”

The committee, made up of scrutiny councillors from across the region, was set up in March 2011 to look in detail at the proposals for the future delivery of children’s congenital cardiac services across England.

The Committee published its initial report in October 2011, concluding that any future service model that did not include a designated children’s cardiac surgical centre at Leeds would have a disproportionately negative impact on children and families across the region.

In July the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts announced the Leeds General Infirmary unit would close. It means children in Huddersfield and Calderdale face travelling to Newcastle or Liverpool for heart surgery.

The matter is now likely to be referred by Health Secretary to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel for initial advice.