Hospital will no longer carry out children's heart surgery

A mother whose daughter is currently at Glenfield Hospital has been speaking to ITV News Central about the potential closure of its' children's heart unit.

It comes ahead of a special meeting tonight.

Ann Edwards' daughter, Penelope, was whisked to Glenfield Hospital after her lungs collapsed last week. Their specialist equipment managed to save her life.

An online petition to save children's heart surgery at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester has received more than 17,000 signatures.

The campaign began after the announcement was made by NHS England to close the unit. NHS England has said surgery for children born with heart defects should stop next year as Leicester's hospitals are not meeting not standards and officials at NHS England do not believe they will be able to meet them.

The petition, begun by Nick Kirk, from Hinckley calls for Jeremy Hunt to overturn the decision.

A review of children's heart surgery has found that Birmingham children's hospital was only one of two centres in the country meeting most or all of national standards. The hospital now faces an increase in patient numbers as NHS England looks to close the heart surgery at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital. It was identified as one of those centres not meeting standards.

In a statement, Sarah-Jane Marsh, Chief Executive at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said:

Some of the most unwell babies in the East Midlands could be moved to either Leeds or Birmingham after the decision to close childrens' heart surgery services at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital.

It was identified as one of the centres that are set to close after an NHS national standards review.

At just eighteen weeks old, Louis had open heart surgery in Leicester on Tuesday. His mother Zoe Winston tells ITV News what the service means to her family:

Children's heart surgery will no longer be carried out at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital. The hospital says it's shocked at the decision by NHS England because they say their results are among the best in the country.

It follows years of controversy and campaigning by families who rely on their local service for treatment. The decision has taken local NHS bosses and patients completely by surprise.

Liz Kendall who is the Labour MP for Glenfield's costituency, Leicester West, says it's a blow for the entire region.