CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Yorkshire’s only children’s heart surgery unit have asked for a break in court proceedings.
The Save Our Surgery campaigners launched a judicial review to challenge the decision to close Leeds childrens’ heart surgery unit.
If it does close, Huddersfield and Calderdale children with heart complications face travelling to Newcastle, Liverpool or even further afield for treatment.
The campaigners are now asking for a stay of proceedings in the judicial review case against the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT).
The campaigner’s legal representatives will request that the action be put on hold until after the Independent Reconfiguration Panel’s (IRP) review is complete at the end of February.
It follows the Health Secretary’s decision to put the review process on hold until February 2013.
They want to wait to hear the outcome of the Health Secretary’s decision and review, which may deal with the points raised by the judicial review challenge and save the campaigners’ legal costs.
A spokeswoman for SOS said: "This is the appropriate and right action to take in light of these circumstances and the fact that the Health Secretary has decided that the children’s heart surgery provision review process needs to be re-examined.
"We have always made it clear that seeking a judicial review was our last resort option and we would rather avoid court action and the costs associated with it if we can.
"At the time that we initiated legal proceedings the IRP referral had not taken place. Now that it has, we need to see what the panel decides before proceeding."
