04 July 2012

Bristol Service to Become Nationally Designated Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Centre

"University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust supports the decision of the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts.

"We recognise the need to reconfigure children's heart services nationally and fully support the Safe and Sustainable process. It is essential to concentrate clinical expertise in the right number of centres to meet the national caseload and achieve the best clinical outcomes for children.

"We are proud of our paediatric cardiac services at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the role it has played in the development of paediatric cardiac services nationally. The service has consistently demonstrated the quality of its care and is now amongst the best in the country.

"We already use the model of working that Safe and Sustainable will embed across the country. The Bristol service works successfully as the hub surgical centre in a network that extends across the South West and South Wales, enabling it to care for children from a wide geographic region, in partnership with their referring hospitals.

"Our formal response to the public consultation recorded our support for all four options. Option B was chosen by the JCPCT as the one that will be implemented and we will now work closely with specialist commissioners and referring cardiologists to ensure that sufficient activity is achieved for the Bristol service to be compliant with the designation standards.  Specifically we will work to strengthen and extend our existing networks to ensure we are well placed to support children and families wherever they live."

Dr Jacqueline Cornish, Head of the Division of Women's and Children's Services University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

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