HOPES are mounting that children’s heart surgery services could be saved in Oxford, with the John Radcliffe still in the running to become one of the UK’s elite specialist centres.

Rather than facing closure in the aftermath of the suspension of services following the death of four children, it has emerged that Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust will be pressing to be among the elite centres being created by the Government to perform children’s heart operations.

There has been speculation that children’s heart surgery services in Oxford might remain closed whatever the outcome of the inquiry into baby deaths at the JR, which is expected to publish its conclusions at the end of July.

Even before the suspension of services in the spring, the Oxford paediatric heart surgery unit was viewed as a likely victim of a central Government review to reduce the number of specialist centres in England.

Oxford is one of the smallest of the 11 centres and the inquiry into the units is expected to recommend fewer but bigger units, all capable of performing at least 400 operations a year.

But, as a mother whose son’s life was saved by Oxford staff launched a campaign to fight for the unit’s survival, the new man in charge of Oxfordshire’s major hospitals said there was still everything to play for.

Sir Jonathan Michael, the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust’s new chief executive, in his first major interview since taking charge, said he believed the specialist maternity, baby and heart facilities at the JR site meant Oxford had a powerful case to put before the national review team, due to visit the hospital in the next few weeks.

Sir Jonathan said: “We are one of the smallest providers. But services could be developed here. We have a large maternity service, where we specialise in looking after foetuses and babies likely to develop congenital heart disease.”

The JR is also able to look after pregnant women with heart problems, in its Silver Star Unit. Also opened on the JR site in recent years are the Oxford Children’s Hospital and the £29m Oxford Heart Centre.

The ORH Trust will emphasise that existing services at the John Radcliffe mean Oxford is able to provide a seamless pathway of care for congenital heart disease, from the foetal service through to the adult cardiology service, with other sub-specialist paediatric services on hand.

The trust will also emphasise the geographical advantage of creating a specialist centre in Oxford, right in the heart of the country.

Mother Maria Crocker has launched a campaign to ensure that Oxford, like the other cities with paediatric heart units, will be fighting to safeguard its paediatric heart unit.

If the Oxford unit is closed, Oxfordshire parents and children would be likely to have to travel to units in Birmingham or London.

Mrs Crocker, 34, from Berinsfield, said: “I think it’s disgusting the unit may have to close.”

Mrs Crocker said the unit saved the life of her eight-year-old son, David.

The review by the National Specialist Commissioning Group began last year and is expected to report in the late summer. It is examining three units in London, at Guy’s and St Thomas’s, the Royal Brompton and Great Ormond Street, and others in Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Southamp-ton, Bristol, Leicester and Leeds.

The renowned Stephen Westaby is one of the paediatric cardiac surgeons at the JR. The four children, whose deaths led to the suspension of services, were all operated on by Caner Salih. He had already resigned when the decision was taken to suspend services.