Don't break our hearts

Children’s Heart Surgery Fund Calls For Supporters To Continue Fighting To Keep Vital Facilities Open In The Heart Of Yorkshire And To Promote An Alternate Option To Decision Makers

With just eight weeks to go until the decision on whether to remove the heart surgery unit from the heart of Yorkshire and Humber, Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) is calling for patients, families and supporters to continue campaigning to keep these vital facilities open.

On Thursday 22nd September, CHSF invited patients, supporters and friends to a spectacular event at the Leeds City Museum in Millennium Square to encourage their continued support for the campaign and promote an alternate option to those currently being considered which would see life saving services retained in Leeds. Dubbed “Option E” the alternative option would provide numerous benefits on a national scale such as reduced journey times, provision of high quality care and delivery of multiple services under one roof.

Around 100 volunteers joined CHSF to attend the event which involved them standing together side by side to visually recreate the image of a heart breaking in a piece of stop-motion animation. The heart breaking was representative of the impact moving the surgery from Leeds could have on the children who are dependent on the facility for lifesaving treatment.

The review, being carried out by the NHS’ Safe and Sustainable, could see facilities in Leeds closed down and moved to Newcastle or even one unit in Liverpool remaining open to deliver services to the entire North of England. The facility currently provides services to a population of 14 million within a two hour drive of Leeds.

CHSF is encouraging members of the public who want to help keep life saving services available to the people of Yorkshire to write to their local MPs and ask for their letters to be sent on to the Secretary of State to ensure their views are heard ahead of the decision which is expected on 17th November.
Children’s Heart Surgery Fund director, Sharon Cheng, said: “This event was to remind people that no decision has yet been made. It is not too late for members of the public to have their say on a matter which affects so many children in and around Yorkshire. The unit in Leeds provides an exemplary service and has proven vital is saving the lives of countless children. The loss of the unit in Leeds would cause a big hole in the heart of Yorkshire children’s heart surgery and we need all the support we can get to save our surgery”.

There are currently eleven children’s heart surgery units in the UK but the NHS’ ‘Safe and Sustainable’ is undertaking a review on the future of the units which could see just one unit in Liverpool left to deliver services to the entire North of England. The review favours reducing the number of facilities to create specialist hubs to undertake 400 operations per year.

Under the current review Leeds only features in one of four options being considered by the JCPCT. CHSF has joined the growing number of campaigners who are now calling for a fifth option, Option E, to be considered which offers the optimum configuration of services across England and Wales, including seven Specialist Surgical Centres and four potential Cardiology Centres, and prevents the closure of the unit in Leeds.

Leeds General Infirmary is at the forefront of work on inherited cardiac conditions and has an excellent record for providing safe, high quality children’s heart surgery. Currently providing services to 300 families every year Leeds is expecting a decision by the Joint Chairs of the Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) on which units will remain nationally and which will be closed.

Another benefit to the children being treated in Leeds is that services at Leeds General Infirmary are centralised to ensure all facilities required are located on one site. This is a huge asset, reducing the need for poorly children and their families to travel between facilities and for babies born with heart conditions to be separated from their mothers.

For further information please contact Ellie Smith or Jen Cooke at Acceleris Marketing Communications on 0845 4567 251 EllieS@acceleris-mc.com or JenC@acceleris-mc.com