Readers may remember the news last year of the possible threat of closure of the Southampton Children’s Heart Surgery Unit.
The Government are planning to cut the number of children’s heart units in the country from 11 to six or seven and Southampton is one of those units under risk of closure.
We hear that just over a week ago, three Court of Appeal judges heard the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts’ (JCPCT) appeal on the future of children’s congenital heart services.
Awaiting judgment
The JCPCT was appealing against the High Court’s judgment of last year that quashed the public consultation based solely on the score given to the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust for compliance with standards relating to research and innovation.
The Appeal judges recognised the desirability of a quick judgment in view of the urgent need to improve children’s heart services.
We’ll let you know when we hear the outcome of the judgment.
