Campaign meeting for heart unit families

NHS officials say it will allow them to give more detailed feedback on plans to cut the number of hospitals carrying out surgery in England.

Already 100,000 people have backed a petition calling for services to stay in the region after Leeds was included in only one of four options, leaving youngsters facing long journeys to Newcastle, Liverpool or Leicester for treatment.

The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, became the latest to back the campaign on a tour of services in Leeds yesterday. He said: “Keeping this excellent facility in Leeds is vital for the well-being of young people in the region. Sending children far afield to receive care cannot be a good option when the support of family members is crucial. Keeping this service in our region matters for everyone.”

Parents and children from the Huddersfield and Halifax areas are being invited to a campaign meeting run by the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund charity at the Cedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top, Huddersfield, at 11am on Saturday.

For further information call 0113 392 5907.