Application for judicial review goes to court

13 July 2011

The Trust’s application for judicial review regarding the ‘Safe and Sustainable’ children’s heart surgery consultation, will be heard in the Royal Courts of Justice tomorrow, 14^th July, 2011.

Details are:

COURT 1

Before MR JUSTICE BURNETT
Thursday 14 July, 2011
At half past 10

APPLICATION(s)
CO/2440/2011 The Queen on the application of Royal Brompton And Harefield Nhs Trust   v Joint Committee Of Primary Care Trusts
 
Applications for Permission
CO/2440/2011 The Queen on the application of Royal Brompton And Harefield Nhs Trust   v Joint Committee Of Primary Care T

Background

We believe the public consultation on the review is unlawful because:

• the decision to reduce the number of centres undertaking children’s heart surgery in London from three to two does not stand up to scrutiny and is not transparent.

• the decision on which two centres keep their surgery was made by a committee that included doctors from the two centres which, it was decided, keep their surgery. The centre that loses its surgery - Royal Brompton - was not represented.

• the consultation’s analysis is flawed because it ignores the fact that Royal Brompton fulfils the set criteria, and fails to take into account the disastrous effects on other NHS services if children’s heart surgery is withdrawn.

For further details please see the press release issued in March