‘Devastated’ campaigners plan appeal to Lansley

Youngsters from the bulk of the region including Sheffield and Doncaster will be expected to travel to Newcastle for surgery under the changes, with those from North Lincolnshire facing journeys of more than three hours.

Those from Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield will be expected to travel to Liverpool after NHS bosses opted to close the surgical unit at Leeds General Infirmary.

NHS officials hailed the decision to cut the number of heart surgery units from 10 to seven as a “landmark” which would improve the quality of care.

But there were tears among patients’ families and heart unit staff after the verdict was reached at a meeting in London last night.

Officials narrowly rejected an alternative option proposed by campaigners from Yorkshire which would have seen surgery retained in Leeds.

Opponents pledged to refer the decision to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in what will be seen as an important test for Ministers ahead of other major reconfigurations of NHS care.

Sharon Cheng, director of the Leeds-based Children’s Heart Surgery Fund charity, said patients’ views had been ignored.

She warned Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital would not reach a target of carrying out a minimum 400 operations a year which could forced it to close in future leaving a huge area in the North without any provision. “We need to look at how they have reached this decision which gives cause for grave concern,” she said.

Pudsey Tory MP Stuart Andrew called the move “devastating”.and “a step backwards”.

Coun Lisa Mulherin, executive member for public health at Leeds City Council, condemned the decision and promised to immediately refer it to Mr Lansley.

“There is absolutely no doubt that the loss of this facility will have a serious and detrimental impact on ill and vulnerable children and their families right across our region,” she said.

Mike Collier, chairman of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This result flies in the face of logical health care planning and plain common sense. This decision seems almost perverse in light of the information which became available during the course of the consultation process. We are surprised that the very clear wishes of over 600,000 people from this region appear to have been disregarded.”

NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh said: “These changes need to be made for the benefit of all children who have congenital heart disease.

“The review, which has been led by the NHS and is independent of Ministers, has the support of the royal colleges as well as national charities. I hope that everyone involved can now work together to ensure the NHS delivers the very best services for children.”