Heart unit criticised over deaths (From Crewe Guardian)

Heart unit criticised over deaths

12:48pm Thursday 29th July 2010 in

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Standards of care at a leading hospital where four babies died were "not what was expected", a health boss has said.

A major report on children's heart surgery at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford said the paediatric heart surgery unit should remain suspended until arrangements are made for improving care.

Four babies were all treated by the same surgeon and died within three months at the hospital.

Their deaths, between last December and February, prompted the temporary closure of the unit in March and the launch of an investigation by the NHS South Central strategic health authority (SHA).

Its chairman, Dr Geoffrey Harris, apologised to the families of those babies who died.

"We offer our sincere condolences and we apologise that, in the cases, the standards of care were not what was expected," he said.

Surgeon Caner Salih, who operated on the four babies, is said to have complained about the age of equipment and poor working practices at the paediatric care unit, asking for operations to cease.

The report does not criticise his care.