Leeds Heart Surgery Decision Quashed

27 March 2013, 16:32 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The High Court in London has quashed a decision to stop children’s heart surgery at Leeds general infirmary.

The High Court has only overturned part of an NHS consultation process, after recently ruling that the process was legally flawed.

The ruling comes after an NHS review said that surgery should stop at hospitals in Leeds, Leicester and London to focus care at fewer, larger sites.

Earlier this month, the judge ruled the consultation process which led to the decision was unfair and legally flawed.

In July it was announced the children's heart surgery would end at Leeds General Infirmary, and treatment would instead centralised at seven specialist centres.

Meaning people in Yorkshire would have to go to Newcastle or Liverpool for treatment.

Mrs Justice Nicola Davies said aspects of the Leeds consultations were "ill judged", including a failure to make relevant information available to consultees.

After the ruling SOS spokeswoman Sharon Cheng said: “We are thrilled that the unfair and flawed decision to stop surgery in Yorkshire & the Humber has been quashed.

“Today's judgment vindicates our decison to pursue this case throught the courts.

“We brought this case on behalf of the families and patients of our region, whose genuine concerns about the review had been ignored by the NHS.

"The first line of the NHS constitution states 'The NHS belongs to the people' and we now call on the decison makers to reflect that by engaging with us to ensure the final outcome is the correct one for children across the country.”