Child unit campaign stepped up

Patients fear they will be left facing long journeys to Liverpool, Newcastle or the Midlands if surgery is axed at Leeds Children’s Hospital, prompting MPs from across the region to join forces in support of it.

The NHS has launched a four-month public consultation on plans to reduce the number of hospitals providing children’s heart surgery from 11 to six or seven in a drive to deliver better results.

But only one of their four options would see surgery continuing in Leeds and the configuration retaining services in the city is ranked lowest under a complex scoring process covering quality, accessibility and sustainability of services.

MPs met families yesterday at Westminster with a vow to fight for services to stay in Leeds as the Leeds-based Children’s Heart Surgery Fund charity launched its Save Our Surgery campaign.

Pudsey Tory MP Stuart Andrew said: “I think we’ve got to step up the campaign now to ask that review to go for the option that does include the Leeds unit.”

Colne Valley Tory MP Jason McCartney said: “I firmly believe we should have good quality health services as close to the people who need them as possible.”