The Government played no part in the decision to suspend children’s heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary, peers were told.
Health Minister Earl Howe insisted the decision was taken by the local health trust in agreement with the Care Quality Commission and NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh.
“The Government strongly believes that it was the right thing to do,” he said at question time yesterday.
“It is absolutely right that the NHS should act quickly and decisively if there is any evidence that patient safety may be at risk.”
But Liberal Democrat Lord Shutt of Greetland warned there had been “murky internal health politicking” going on over the issue of children’s heart surgery in Yorkshire.
He demanded: “Why is the Government determined to deny the people of Yorkshire a children’s heart unit when Yorkshire has a population of 5.3 million – similar to Scotland, Denmark and Finland?”
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt also told the Health Select Committee yesterday he believed it had been “absolutely the right thing” to suspend operations.
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