Royal Brompton Hospital fights plan to axe heart operations

The move is the latest attempt in 15 years to improve standards of care in the wake of the Bristol heart scandal 25 years ago when at least 29 babies died or suffered brain damage. It does, however, safeguard the continuation of services at the two other London hospital performing paediatric congenital heart operations — Great Ormond Street and Evelina London, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS trust.

The new rules require hospitals to have three congenital cardiac surgeons in place now and at least four by 2021 to ensure 24-hour cover. Each of these surgeons should perform a minimum of 125 such operations an year.

NHS England was today unable to explain where the Brompton, which performs more than 500 such operations a year and is understood to have four paediatric cardiac surgeons, was failing to meet these standards.

Sources indicated the loss of the surgery could have a massive impact on the entire trust and could result in the closure of the Brompton site in Chelsea, with the trust existing only on its sister site at Harefield hospital.

Robert Craig, chief operating officer at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Threatening to withdraw services from one of the largest and most successful centres in the country seems an absurd approach.”