Monday 6 June, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
NHS chiefs are being urged to consider the devastating impact of discontinuing children’s heart surgery at Royal Brompton, as supporters praise the hospital’s support for sick children locally, nationally and internationally. The comments from national charities, leading clinicians and commentators, come as people have less than a month to have their say on the future of paediatric children’s heart surgery.
Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub was the first person in the UK to perform a heart and lung transplant. He has spoken out following the recommendation from a committee of Primary Care Trust officials to stop children’s heart surgery at Royal Brompton, as part of a review of services in England. He said: “I have had the distinct privilege of working at the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust for over 30 years. I have witnessed first hand the extreme dedication of the staff and the quality of the service to children, adolescents and adults. This has evolved over many years to reach such a level of excellence which I feel, must continue and project into the future."
The professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London and director of research, Harefield Heart Science Centre, added: “It is my firm belief that centres of excellence such as the paediatric unit at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust are irreplaceable and, therefore, should be preserved for the benefit of the community, both nationally and internationally.”
The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) released recommendations in February, including proposals to discontinue children’s heart surgery at Royal Brompton. This was despite a report which rated the hospital highly in a national assessment of all children’s heart surgery centres in England and an analysis which showed that Royal Brompton undertook the necessary number of procedures, and had the required number of surgeons, to ensure a high quality service was maintained.
Joanne Osmond, clinical director of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: “The removal of paediatric cardiac surgery from the Royal Brompton Hospital will indeed have grievous consequences for children with cystic fibrosis. But the effects will not be confined to children with this serious illness. It is impossible to safely look after children with either heart or lung disease without on-site access to paediatric anaesthesia and paediatric intensive care, neither of which are viable at Royal Brompton without paediatric cardiac surgery.”
Mr Christopher Lincoln, formerly consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Royal Brompton Hospital and member of expert panel for the Bristol Enquiry 2001, said: “I can’t say enough how amazing Royal Brompton children’s heart service has been and continues to be. In my experience, it is the best in the world.”
India Knight, The Sunday Times columnist and parent of Royal Brompton patient said: "Royal Brompton Hospital in London saved my daughter’s life when she was three months old. It only does hearts and lungs; it is a centre of utmost excellent and has an international reputation regarding children’s cardiac services …. Anyone who believes in the NHS, and anyone whose child has ever required complex medical intervention, should support the Brompton to the hilt."
Families are being urged to have their say on the future of children’s heart surgery, as part of the public consultation running until 1 July. More than 26,000 people have signed a petition in support of keeping children’s heart surgery at Royal Brompton and parents, patients and their families are being urged to respond to the consultation either online or by completing the response form.
For information on how to respond visit http://www.rbht.nhs.uk/about/safe-and-sustainable/response
Ends/
Notes to editors:
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust is a national and international specialist heart and lung centre based in Chelsea, London and Harefield, Middlesex. The Trust helps patients from all age groups who have heart and lung problems and is the country's largest centre for the treatment of adult congenital heart disease.
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
