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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the recommendations of the paediatric and congenital services report; [214907] (2) when he plans to implement the recommendations of the paediatric and congenital services report. [214908] Dr. Ladyman: I understand the questions relate to the report of the paediatric and congenital cardiac services review group, which considered health care services and treatment for children with congenital heart disease in the light of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry. The group reported that all paediatric cardiac centres were providing high standards of care for children and made a number of recommendations to preserve these standards. This report and the Government's response was published in December 2003 and a copy is available in the Library. The Government accepted and commended these recommendations to national health service primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and the Healthcare Commission, apart from one recommendation, the effect of which would have been to immediately close centres providing a high level of service, but which were carrying out less than a minimum of 300 operations per year. There was no evidence within the report to support this measure, nor has there been any since. Responsibility for commissioning national clinical audit of paediatric cardiac surgery and congenital heart disease transferred to the Healthcare Commission, previously the Commission Healthcare Audit and Inspection in April 2003.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

431 c319W;431 c318-9W; 214907;214908

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Children Congenital abnormalities Health services Heart diseases Paediatrics

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk