THE outcome of an appeal against a Judicial Review on the children’s heart surgery shake-up will be delivered next week.
The decision will affect where Oxfordshire children with heart problems will be treated.
Children’s heart surgery at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital stopped last year after four deaths, but a link-up between services in Oxfordshire and surgeons at Southampton General Hospital has since been set up.
The Government ordered the so-called Safe and Sustainable review after announcing there should be fewer, larger centres carrying out heart surgery on children.
The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) put forward four options, one involving Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust.
London’s Royal Brompton Hospital, which did not feature in the options, launched a judicial review claiming that the process was flawed.
It was upheld but the decision was then challenged by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts.
If the challenge is unsuccessful the JCPCT will either hold the public consultation again or hold a meeting to decide the preferred way forward.
The Court of Appeal will give judgment on Thursday, April 19.
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