From: Christine Waterland, NHS Yorkshire and the Humber
Subject: Closure of Leeds paediatric heart surgery

Big is not beautiful – it is not efficient and it is not quality care. Are the remaining centres going to increase their capacity for theatre time? Are they going to provide more overnight accommodation for parents of sick children? Is there going to be a faster way to get a really sick child safely to surgery at the other end of the country? Is there going to be more bed capacity for the additional children from other areas? Is there going to be an increase in staff to cope with the increased demand? 

These are children’s lives that they are playing with. It won’t save money, it won’t improve quality, it won’t improve standards, and most importantly of all, it won’t save lives. 

When children are sick, they need their family with them to help them heal quicker.

What about people with other siblings, what are they going to do? The stress levels for sick children’s parents will go through the roof. I think there needs to be more serious investigation into this before it happens and not just diving in feet first because someone thinks it’s a good idea!