Review of care at heart unit goes on after surgery halted

The review is taking place after surgery was suspended, with the hope that operations can resume this week at Leeds General Infirmary.

The checks, carried out by experts from around the country, involved ensuring standards are the same as at other hospitals.

It is understood the team spoke to staff including nurses, cardiologists and surgeons.

Surgery at the unit was suspended more than a week ago over unpublished mortality figures, later called “not fit to be looked at” by anyone outside the specialist committee which compiled them.

Coun John Illingworth, chairman of the Yorkshire-wide Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said top NHS statisticians were examining the information, adding that he understood why it had to be shown there was no problem at the unit in the first place.

The decision to suspend operations started a storm when it came 24 hours after campaigners won a High Court battle to overturn a ruling to close the unit.

NHS England, the NHS Trust Development Authority, which now oversees the performance of NHS trusts, and health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been involved in the surgery suspension.

A CQC spokeswoman said: “CQC supports the process that was agreed to enable surgery to restart at the earliest opportunity, subject to sufficient assurance being obtained. In the meantime, we continue to monitor the situation carefully.”