On
Wednesday 4th July 2012 the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts
recommended that children’s heart surgery be stopped at the East
Midlands Congenital Heart Centre based at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester.
We strongly believe this is the wrong decision – it could put the lives of vulnerable children at risk & will impact on the ECMO service at Glenfield Hospital. The ECMO Service based at the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre, Glenfield Hospital is where ECMO originally began in the UK 25 years ago.
The Service is the largest ECMO Service in the world, with amongst the best results in the world. Indeed it was at the forefront of the battle against the Swine Flu epidemic over the last 2 years and got a letter of Commendation from the CMO of ENGLAND.
The ECMO service performs 80% of the Neonatal and Paediatric activity in the UK and over the last 12 months the activity has increased by over 40%. The other two Centres in England have limited capacity which is taken up predominantly by Cardiac Transplant patients and as a result, these Units are often unable to serve the ECMO needs of their surrounding areas.
This shortfall in provision is usually picked up by the ECMO Centre at Glenfield Hospital.
In addition, the EMCO service at Glenfield regularly receives INTERNATIONAL REFERALS from Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Jersey.
Two International ECMO experts, Dr Bob Bartlett (Michigan USA) Inventor of ECMO worldwide and Dr Kenneth Palmer (Sweden) who in fact advised the SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE REVIEW PANEL have written letters to the Secretary of State for Health stating that closing the ECMO Centre at Glenfield Hospital is NOT the Right thing to do for the patients, is potentially dangerous and could cost lives.
The ECMO Team
Glenfield Hospital
Groby Road
Leicester
LE3 9QP
If you are concerned but still haven't completed the Save Children’s Cardiac Services e-petition please do so at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35788
