What is congenital heart disease?
Congenital heart disease is an abnormality in the heart that develops in the womb and is present at birth. Around one in every 133 children is affected[1]. It is a life-long and potentially life-threatening condition.
How did the review come about?
Children’s heart surgery is complex and becoming increasingly specialised. It is currently provided in 11 centres across England.
Following long-standing concerns that some congenital heart services for children are too small to be able to deliver a safe and sustainable service, the National Specialised Commissioning Team undertook a review into the future of children’s congenital heart services in England led by the Safe and Sustainable Team.
In February 2011, the recommendations from the review were agreed by the Joint Committee of PCTs (JCPCT)[2], and the National Specialised Commissioning Team has now begun a public consultation on the options that recommend that the number of specialist centres in England is reduced from eleven to six or seven.
It is proposed that despite our exceptional performance, size and safety record, our service is closed because London only requires two centres to develop a congenital heart network and that Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital (GOSH) and The Evelina Children's Hospital (Guy’s and St Thomas’s) are the preferred options for this.
What are the options?
Option A: Seven surgical centres at:
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Freeman Hospital, Newcastle
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Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool
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Glenfield Hospital, Leicester
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Birmingham Children's Hospital
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Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
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Two centres in London (GOSH, Evelina)
Option B: Seven surgical centres at:
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Freeman Hospital, Newcastle
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Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool
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Birmingham Children's Hospital
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Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
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Southampton General Hospital
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Two centres in London
Option C: Six surgical centres at:
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Freeman Hospital, Newcastle
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Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool
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Birmingham Children's Hospital
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Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
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Two centres in London
Option D: Six surgical centres at:
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Leeds General Infirmary
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Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool
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Birmingham Children's Hospital
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Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
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Two centres in London
[1] NHS Specialised Service, Safe and sustainable: a new vision for children’s congenital heart services in England – consultation document, March 2011
[2] The JCPCT comprises of the Chair of each of the 10 Specialised Commissioning Groups in England (or the nominated PCT) representative and the Director of NationalSpecialised Commissioning; it is chaired by the Chief Executive of the East of England Strategic Health Authority
You can also read about the
'Safe and Sustainable - Review of Children's Congenital Cardiac Services' in more detail by visiting the
NHS Specialised Services website.
