Legal bid to save children’s heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary launched (From Ilkley Gazette)

Legal bid to save children’s heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary launched

2:31pm Monday 15th October 2012 in Local news

Campaigners fighting to safeguard the future of children’s heart surgery in West Yorkshire have officially launched their legal bid.

Members of the Save our Surgery Campaign have announced they have applied to the High Court in order to seek a judicial review of the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trust’s (JCPCT) decision to recommend the end of children’s heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary.

They hope a decision will be made by the High Court in the coming months about whether the recommendations of the review will be implemented, but until then it is understood the implementation of the cessation of surgery at the Leeds unit will be put on hold.

The legal move has been backed by a raft of local MPs, including Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West).

“It is disappointing that it has come to this and the campaign is now being forced to launch a legal bid to save the Leeds unit,” he said.

“The campaign can, how-ever, be assured that I, along with representatives from across the region, will, of course, be backing them throughout this process.”

Previously, Sir Neil McKay, chairman of the JCPCT, which recommended the ending of surgery in Leeds after a three-year review, said his committee will “mount a robust defence” of the decision to ensure the “vital changes are implemen-ted as soon as possible”.