Advertisement

Children's heart unit review

Plans to close three children's heart surgery units were suspended by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt today. Addressing the House of Commons he said the review was based on "flawed analysis"

View all 78 updates ›

Leicester MP Liz Kendall criticises move of Glenfield's ECMO unit to Birmingham

Liz Kendall, Labour MP for Leicester West, has criticised the decision by the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to move the children's ECMO unit at the Glenfield Hospital to Birmingham.

It comes a week after an NHS review recommended the children's heart unit at the hospital should close.

Liz Kendall believes it's too soon to decide the future of the hospital's ECMO unit, which is used to re-oxygenate the blood of seriously ill patients.

"Expert clinicians have raised serious concerns about the impact of moving Glenfield’s children’s ECMO service to Birmingham. They believe it could take years to build the service back up to its current excellent standard, risking children’s health and even their survival.

“It is unacceptable that the Health Secretary has signed off the ECMO decision only a week after the proposals were announced and without full and proper consideration of these clinical concerns. "

– Liz Kendall, Labour MP for Leicester West

It is the only unit of its kind in the whole of the country, and there are concerns by patient groups and medics at the Glenfield Hospital that moving it could put lives at risk.

  1. Read more
  2. 78 updates
Children's heart unit review

More on this story