Leeds adult heart surgery threat

It has emerged that if the proposals to close the children's heart surgery unit at Leeds General Infirmary are approved, surgery for adults born with heart defects will also end.

The news comes as it was revealed the process to decide the unit's future has cost the taxpayer millions of pounds. Sally Simpson reports.

Questions have been asked in the House of Commons about the costs for the review of children's heart surgery at Leeds.

Stuart Andrew MP has asked questions in the House of Commons about the costs for the review of children's heart surgery at Leeds and the decision-making process to date.

Costs incurred by NHS Specialised Services on the Safe and Sustainable review of children's heart services in England and Wales and the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts decision-making process, to March 2013.

• Legal costs for the judicial review case brought by Save Our Surgery Ltd £301,000
• External communications consultants £1,740,000
• Other costs incurred (from 2009-10 to 2012-13) £6,036,000

Adult heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary is under threat as it's emerged that if the children's unit closed, adult services would go the same way.

New draft standards for hospitals operating on adults born with heart defects say procedures should only be done in hospitals with a similar children's unit. The future of children's surgery at Leeds is uncertain and is currently the subject of a Government review.

Campaigners trying to save the children's heart unit in Leeds say they're appalled the case may go back to the High Court.

NHS England says it wants to appeal against a judge's ruling that a decision to close the unit was based on flawed information.

Heart campaigner Sharon Cheng says the NHS appeal is a "waste of money".

The NHS said yesterday there are "good grounds" to appeal a decision made in the High Court regarding the future of children's heart surgery in Leeds.

Last month a judge ruled that the safe and sustainable review panel's decision to close the unit was based on flawed information

Campaigners fighting to save the Leeds children's heart surgery unit say an appeal by the NHS against a previous High Court Ruling is a "disgraceful waste of time and taxpayers' money."

Greg Mulholland, the MP for Leeds North West has attacked the NHS's decision to try and appeal against a High Court ruling regarding the closure of the city's children's heart unit.