John
07-29-2010, 02:00 PM
A major report on children's heart surgery at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford has said the paediatric heart surgery unit should remain suspended until arrangements are made for improving care.
It is after four babies, all treated by the same surgeon, 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 today 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. All four baby deaths occurred under Mr Salih's care shortly after his appointment at the unit.
The report included a review of death rates, and found that among 15 patients operated on by the new surgeon, the death rate was 4.8 times higher than would be expected from a national rate. But the panel noted "all the cases were complex and surgery was high risk".
The panel set out several recommendations, including an overhaul of the system for dealing with serious adverse incidents and better monitoring of death rates. They "also recommend that paediatric cardiac surgery remain suspended in Oxford until or unless the service can safely be expanded".
It is after four babies, all treated by the same surgeon, 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 today 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. All four baby deaths occurred under Mr Salih's care shortly after his appointment at the unit.
The report included a review of death rates, and found that among 15 patients operated on by the new surgeon, the death rate was 4.8 times higher than would be expected from a national rate. But the panel noted "all the cases were complex and surgery was high risk".
The panel set out several recommendations, including an overhaul of the system for dealing with serious adverse incidents and better monitoring of death rates. They "also recommend that paediatric cardiac surgery remain suspended in Oxford until or unless the service can safely be expanded".