9:00am Friday 30th July 2010
By Amanda Williams
PARENTS of babies treated at the John Radcliffe are rallying behind the hospital after learning children’s heart surgery may never resume.
It was announced yesterday that children’s heart surgery will remain suspended following an investigation into the deaths of four infants.
An independent investigation concluded the deaths were not due to errors of judgement but that Mr Caner Salih, the surgeon carrying out the operations, was not given appropriate supervision.
The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust has been told to improve in 16 areas by the Strategic Health Authority before surgery can start again.
In a separate review of services, the Government is assessing all paediatric heart units in the country.
It wants fewer but larger centres which can carry out more operations, and Oxford is the smallest of 11 units which could close. Recommendations will be published in October.
Last night Jonathan Michael, the ORH’s new chief executive, said it was unlikely the improvements ordered by the SHA could be made and surgery resume before the Government made its decision.
Supporters of the unit are worried it is a “foregone conclusion” that Oxford will be first on the hitlist for permanent closure.
And now they are begging the people of Oxfordshire to get behind their campaign to save the unit which has saved their babies lives.
Mother Kim Homewood, from Abingdon, founded the Oxfordshire charity Young Hearts.
Her daughter Katy was born with a heart defect at the JR and had two open heart operations at the unit. She is now 11 and in good health.
Mrs Homewood believes that if Oxford closed, transferring to a centre further away for specialist emergency treatments will put lives in danger.
She said: “I feel that Oxford has been under-funded and the trust has come out poorly from this review.
“But the unit should remain open.
“We have got a new management at the hospital now and we’re moving in the right direction.
“I’ve every faith in Sir Jonathan. He is the right man for the job.”
Bicester mum Yvonne Thomas said it was important now more than ever for people to support their hospital.
Her son Ryan was born in 1990, and was immediately diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect known as truncus arteriosus.
His life was saved when he had his first operation aged four months.
Ms Thomas said: “My son is now 20 and doing really well and I know that’s thanks to the team at Oxford.”
Fiona Spensley’s daughter Sophie Barton, 16, was operated on three times after her heart was reduced to “mashed potato” by an infection.
Dr Spensley, from Steeple Aston, said: “In my own daughter’s case the treatment she got there was a world first, it was groundbreaking and she would not have got that level of care anywhere else.
“We should be building on what we’ve got. Oxford needs investment, but it needs to remain open.”
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