PRESS RELEASE
Friday 25th March, 2011
London Mayor Boris Johnson has agreed to meet Royal Brompton Hospital supporters, after hearing how the proposed closure of children’s cardiac surgery threatens many patients living with serious conditions. Speaking during this week’s Mayor’s Question Time, Mr Johnson declared his absolute support for clinicians, doctors and specialists at the ‘great’ hospital. His comments come less than a week after a unanimous agreement by London Assembly Members to write to the Health Secretary about the review of children’s cardiac surgery.
Mr Johnson was responding to questions from LA Member Victoria Borwick on Wednesday 23 March, following last month’s recommendations from the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) that children’s heart surgery at Royal Brompton should be discontinued. The proposals come despite a report which put Royal Brompton fourth out of ten in a national assessment of all children’s heart surgery centres in England.
Mr Johnson agreed to meet a delegation of experts from the Trust stressing his commitment to the best clinical outcomes for people living in London. The Chair of the London Assembly is writing to Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, after hearing last week how closing the children’s heart surgery unit at Royal Brompton Hospital will have serious knock-on effects for people with heart and lung conditions, and on related health services.
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest such centres in Europe. The Trust’s paediatric cardiac surgery service has an excellent safety record and paediatric mortality rates are less than half the national average (0.9% versus 2%).The Trust has issued legal proceedings against the JCPCT in respect of the proposal to end paediatric cardiac surgery at Royal Brompton Hospital, as part of the ‘Safe and Sustainable’ review. The Trust’s board believes that the recommended options put to public consultation are fundamentally flawed, such that a consultation based on them would be unlawful. The Trust is now applying for judicial review, challenging the legality of the consultation.
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For further information, please contact:
Jessica Mangold,
Head of Media Relations
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Tel: 020 7351 8672 (Brompton), Tel: 01895 828 877 (Harefield)
Mobile: 07866 536 345
Email: J.Mangold@rbht.nhs.uk
