'It would be a tragedy if children's heart centre at Glenfield Hospital closes'
An MP today said it would be a "tragedy" if the children's heart centre at Glenfield Hospital closed.
Keith Vaz is among MPs who are backing the Mercury's campaign to save the service, which it is feared could shut as part of an NHS review.
The Labour MP for Leicester East said: "The heart services at Glenfield Hospital are some of the most effective in the country. It would be a tragedy if these specialist facilities were moved elsewhere. We can be proud of the excellent quality and care that we give to children in need of urgent and important heart services."
Leicester West's Labour MP, Liz Kendall, who pressed the case during a debate in Parliament last month for the unit to remain, said: "I'm backing the Mercury's campaign to save children's heart services at Glenfield Hospital.
"The staff at Glenfield provide fantastic care for children and families from across the East Midlands and beyond.
"I'll do all I can as the MP for this area to make sure we keep this service in Leicester. I urge all the Mercury readers to support the campaign too."
The review, being carried out by the National Specialised Commissioning Group, could see England's 11 children's heart centres reduced to seven.
If the one at Glenfield is closed, patients and their families from Leicestershire and across the East Midlands will have to travel to Birmingham, Leeds or London for treatment.
The group will publish its recommendations next month ahead of a public consultation in October.
Andrew Bridgen, North West Leicestershire's Conservative MP, said he had written to Health Minister Simon Burns outlining fears that the service offered to patients in the East Midlands would deteriorate if it was moved elsewhere.
He added: "The most important consideration must remain the operational outcomes for these very poorly children."
A spokesman for Bosworth's Conservative representative, David Tredinnick, said the MP "supports the campaign to safeguard these vital services for his constituents".
Edward Garnier, Conservative MP for Harborough, has written to the Secretary of State for Health pressing the case to keep services at Glenfield.
Nicky Morgan, Conservative MP for Loughborough, said: "Any review must take account of how other services might be destabilised."
Leicester South MP Sir Peter Soulsby said cost-cutting must not be a driving force behind the review. About 30,000 people have signed a petition spearheaded by Heart Link to save the centre at Glenfield.
Now readers are being asked to add their support by backing the Mercury campaign.
Zuffar Haq, chairman of the Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel, said: "This is a vital service providing life-saving heart surgery, not just for Leicester but for the whole of the East Midlands and further afield. Its loss would make other areas of children's services untenable."
Watchdogs the Leicester City and Leicestershire local involvement networks (Links) have joined forces to make sure they are ready to fight any recommendation which does not see Glenfield being kept.
Eric Charlesworth, vice- chairman of Leicestershire Link, said: "It's very important for people to support this campaign to keep services now and for the future.''
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you would like to back our campaign, complete the form at: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/heartcampaign
4 Comments
by Dave, Leics
Wednesday, August 11 2010, 9:33PM
“Well if Mr Vaz and the Liebour government hadn't created the huge deficit I am sure the heart unit would not be closed. Mr Vaz look in the mirror, you are the one responsible for the mess.”
by John, Leicester
Tuesday, August 10 2010, 4:41PM
“Mr A leics I fully agree with your comments. You have said it all. Every one comes first.In this Country And abroad except the British People.
Save the children's heart centre At the Glenfield Hospital”
by MrA, leics
Tuesday, August 10 2010, 2:50PM
“Another disgrace on this country.
We're too busy funding immigrants, asylum seekers, unemployed shirkers . travellers and the war in Afghanistan, to care about funding hospitals for the sick in our own country....
Someone needs to shake up this country !”
by Preston, Loughborough
Tuesday, August 10 2010, 12:41PM
“I have signed this petition but feel that it will be in vain if the proposed closure is due to financial cutbacks, we are all only to aware that money comes first in this country. Forget the fact that Glenfield has one of the best childrens heart hospitals in the country, forget the fact that a child needs to be able to see his/her parents during this critical time, forget the fact that not everyone has access a car to visit their sick child in another COUNTY, but never mind, MONEY COMES FIRST. What is this country coming to when money comes before our sick children?”