6 April 2013

Re: Surgical issue from 2005

A spokesman for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said today:

“The Trust monitors surgical outcomes in children’s heart surgery on an ongoing basis and in 2005 identified issues with one of our surgeons about outcomes for a specific procedure, repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

“We invited the Royal College of Surgeons to undertake a rapid response review to look at this issue. The surgeon voluntarily stepped aside from undertaking this procedure during the review.

“The review team’s findings were implemented by the Trust in full and the surgeon voluntarily decided not to undertake this particular procedure in future, but has remained part of the team delivering paediatric cardiac surgery in Leeds.

“It is important to stress that no problems were found with any other aspects of his practice, and his surgical outcomes are good with mortality rates fully in line with his peers.”

Ends

Issued by Andrew Bannister 0113 2066244.