FAMILIES have been urged to have their say so key children’s heart services can stay in Oxford.

Campaigners were given the chance to voice their concerns about plans to change the face of paediatric cardiac services across Britain.

The Government’s Safe and Sustainable consultation is part of an NHS review into children’s heart services which has recommended fewer, larger centres to carry out more operations.

It ranked all the existing centres on a number of criteria, including quality, location and staffing.

The John Radcliffe Hospital, which suspended child heart surgery following the deaths of four babies last year, was deemed the least likely to meet the criteria to become a supercentre.

But the packed meeting, held at the Kassam Stadium, heard that all care apart from surgery could actually stay in Oxford if Southampton University Hospitals is picked as a centre.

A collaboration which is already under way between Oxford and Southampton University Hospitals, would keep medical expertise at the JR.

Dr Nick Archer, consultant paediatric cardiologist at Oxford, said the network was an example of a model which will keep services as local as possible, so patients only have to travel to another centre when absolutely necessary.

He said: “The best environment for the provision of children’s heart services is one in which feto-maternal, other children’s services and adult cardiac services are all situated. The Oxford and Southampton Hospitals can both provide this location.”

Jude Kelly, chairman of Oxfordshire-based charity Young Hearts, put about 20 questions to a panel of experts from the Safe and Sustainable team.

She said many of them were not answered satisfactorily and added: “There are aspects of this consultation and the information presented to support it that gravely concern us.

“The report only focuses on congenital heart surgery, not emergencies.

“Not all children have planned surgery.”