08.04.13
Leeds child heart surgery mortality data under review
The decision to suspend child heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary was “prudent”, NHS England says. The unit is expected to resume operations early this week.
Surgery was stopped at the end of March, when medical director Sir Bruce Keogh highlighted data suggesting higher than average mortality rates at the hospital. The suspension occurred just a day after campaign group Save Our Surgery won a judicial review against the unit’s closure under the Safe and Sustainable review.
A summit held on Thursday concluded that surgery should restart, following a review into mortality outcome data and analysis, staffing and clinical governance. Data provided by the trust is being validated by independent clinical experts.
Last week Maggie Boyle, chief executive of the trust, said: “I am extremely confident that this service is safe and effective and should recommence at the earliest opportunity. I want partner organisations to be as confident in the service as I am.”
Ian Dalton, the deputy chief executive and chief operating officer of NHS England, said on Friday: “The risk summit concluded that surgery could restart at the beginning of next week, subject to independent validation of the clinical data and an external review of clinical governance processes. We expect this work to be completed over the next few days and a conclusion reached early next week.
“I want to be absolutely clear that throughout this process the entire focus has been on the safety of children. We are working round the clock to resolve this matter as quickly as we possibly can. In the meantime we are ensuring that children can get the care they need elsewhere.”
Save Our Surgery welcomed the announcement that children’s heart surgery could be resumed as soon as possible.
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