Union hits out at plans to stop operations at children's heart centre

Plans to stop operations being performed at a children's heart centre are a "scandal of national proportions", a union has said.

Unite said that the proposals to end heart surgery at Leicester's Glenfield Children's Heart Centre were "penny pinching".

In July, NHS England announced the number of hospitals in England allowed to perform children's heart surgery is to be cut in a controversial move.

Unite have organised a protest in Leicester Credit: PA

Some NHS trusts said they would fight the decision, with Leicester saying it would not sit by while officials at NHS England "destroy our fabulous service".

It said its results were among the best in the country and that closing its service would threaten other key children's services in the region, includingintensive care.

Unite, which has organised a protest in Leicester on Saturday, said that the proposals were not based on empirical evidence.

Sarah Carpenter, Unite's national officer for health - who will be addressing the rally, said:

Officials at NHS England believe that while units in England are safe, not all are providing excellent care.

The changes are due to be brought in from April next year.

Congenital heart disease services have been the subject of a number of reviews since the public inquiry at Bristol Royal Infirmary in 2001.