Council pledges funds towards JR of plans to close children's heart surgery unit

A county council has pledged £5,000 towards a fighting fund being set up by a charity looking at launching a legal challenge against the potential closure of a children’s heart unit.

Lincolnshire County Council offered the money to the Chidren’s Heart Surgery Fund, which is campaigning to save the unit at Leeds General Infirmary.

The charity said that one of its main activities was to support children with congenital heart conditions who are treated at the Infirmary, and their families.

The Fund, which is taking legal advice on its options, has urged businesses and individuals to back its campaign.

The proposal to close the unit at Leeds General Infirmary was announced on 4 July as part of the Safe and Sustainable consultation on the future of children’s heart surgery.

Sharon Cheng, Children’s Heart Surgery Fund Director, said: “This decision is not something we are prepared to accept and will continue to fight the decision on behalf of our parents, patients and staff. We are currently appealing to ministers to overturn this decision but if this is rejected we have no option than to seek a judicial review. As potentially the last option open to parents we feel we have to try.”

The Fund said that more than 600,000 people from across Yorkshire, the Humber and Lincolnshire had signed a petition supporting the children’s heart unit at the Infirmary.

Last month, Yorkshire’s joint health overview and scrutiny committee, which represents 15 councils, agreed to refer the Safe and Sustainable plans to an independent panel. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will then take a final decision.

Another hospital to miss out under the Safe and Sustainable consultation, the Royal Brompton & Harefield Foundation NHS Trust last year brought a judicial review against the proposed closure of its unit.

It was successful at the High Court but that ruling was subsequently overturned at the Court of Appeal in April 2012.