Surgeon backs fight to save children's heart services in Leicester
Hundreds of children could suffer if specialist heart services are moved from Leicester, according to a newly-appointed doctor.
Attilio Lotto, the third paediatric heart consultant to join the team at Glenfield Hospital, is appealing to people to back a fight to make sure the hospital becomes a designated centre for the East Midlands.
-
Attilio Lotto
There is concern that a review by the NHS' national specialised commissioning group might result in services being moved to Birmingham.
Despite the threat, Mr Lotto said he had been determined to join "one of the top teams" in the country.
The 43-year-old worked with top national and international heart specialists before coming to Leicester two months ago.
He said: "If Leicester loses its services, it will create a vacuum in the East Midlands and beyond."
Doctors see about 320 patients a year but, despite the review, £1.7 million expansion plans will see this increase to around 400 over the next few years.
Glenfield is also one of the few hospitals able to provide Ecmo treatment, which takes over the work of the heart and lungs.
If the children's heart centre closes, the Ecmo unit could also shut.
Mr Lotto said: "It would also be very difficult for me and my family but I can't speculate on closure.
"This is a very good opportunity for me to join a fantastic team, one of the best in the country."
He trained in medicine in Milan and has worked in specialist units in Birmingham, Southampton, Newcastle and at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.
He will be one of the doctors hosting an open afternoon at the centre on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.
He is also asking people to support a meeting being held on Wednesday at the Tigers' Stadium by the national specialised commissioning group to talk about the future of children's heart services in England.
Capacity has been increased after anger from campaigners that people had not been able to register.
A group spokesman said: "There is now increased capacity, so there should be no further problems with registration.
"We do encourage people to register via the website www.eventsforce.net/specialisedcommissioningevents."
Meanwhile, Leicester West MP Liz Kendall is trying to force a debate in the House of Commons on the impending review into the future of children's heart services in England.
She raised the issue in the Commons yesterday after visiting the heart services centre at Glenfield Hospital.
She made her bid while speaking to the new Conservative Leader of the House of Commons Sir George Young, who oversees what is debated in the Chamber.
Ms Kendall told the Leicester Mercury that she had asked for a debate on the issue some time in the week beginning June 21.
She said: "The Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said that he wants quality services and that he does not want to see any decisions taken on services unless they are clinically rooted.
"This is now the time to hold him to that and to get our views across."
5 Comments
by LeicesterFox
Friday, July 08 2011, 5:20PM
“Martin - I assume that your view that the glenfield hospital 'does not see that many' of these cases is based on nothing but speculation?
My baby was born ten days ago with a congenital
Heart condition. She almost died the day after being born and was transferred by emergency ambulance to the glenfield. She is now recovering from
Major heart surgery in intensive care at the glenfield.
I can honestly say that without this centre my daughter would not now be alive.
Both the childrens wards and paediatric intensive care units have been full since my daughter was admitted. In our relatively short stay here I have
Spoken with dozens of families who have received emergency treatment and ongoing appointments.
This centre is vital for mine and hundreds
Of other children's futures. Perhaps if you were affected your view
Might change. Until then don't comment on something that you don't understand.”
by kym, new parks
Saturday, June 05 2010, 5:47PM
“being a glenfield patient i think that closing this fantastic hospital facilities would be a bad idea i think this because i have a problem called pulminary valve stenosis which the hospital regularaly make checks on me to make sure everything is ok”
by Tony Church, Leicester
Friday, June 04 2010, 9:46PM
“Surely the point is the con-dems said they'd protect NHS services, well if closing a first-class facility is protection I'd like to hear what they believe exposure is!”
by martin, le3
Friday, June 04 2010, 5:58PM
“GK - I agree. People need to understand that because these complex conditions are thankfully rare, it means that medics dont see that many of them. The more they see the more experience they get, so the better the outcomes. So it makes sense to concentrate the expertise in one specialist centre - it isnt some sort of conspiracy!
Now, I'd rather Glenfields become the specialist centre in the midlands. But I'd rather have Birmingham giving better outcomes than both open and giving less good outcomes.”
by GK, Market Harborough
Friday, June 04 2010, 3:14PM
“I can't believe how partisan the Mercury is being about this. Surely the thing that matters is getting the very best outcomes for children, regardless of whether the specialised centre ends up being in Birmingham or Leicester? I'd drive to the ends of the earth for my children, to take them to Birmingham if they had a heart problem would be no sweat!”