Thoughts from an active pensioner who is now somewhat past his Biblical "Use-by date"

"Why just be difficult, when with a little more effort you can be bloody impossible?"



Sunday 31 March 2013

Leeds Hospital

The media tell us that the Leeds General Infirmary’s children’s heart centre has been temporarily closed because of above average mortality rates for that type of unit. Campaigners tell us that it is all a plot and part of some greater NHS scheme and that it should remain open as the statistics are incomplete.
I just wonder who these campaigners are?
I very much doubt if they are parents of children, as surely any parent would want the best possible treatment for their child and would try to avoid, like a plague, any hospital where there was any suggestion of problems, whether justified or not.
So are they the usual NHS jobsworths supported by militant trade unions? Or perhaps local citizens who feel the loss would be a matter of prestige?

I have an indirect interest in this matter. Our younger daughter was born with a heart defect and was operated on some 38 years ago at Harefield Hospital which I believe was the only British hospital doing such operations at the time. Although it was a minor operation by modern standards, we thought long and hard about it and even considered whether it was worth trying to raise the money to have the operation in America where they had more experience. Certainly, if there had been the slightest air of doubt over Harefield we would not have agreed to the operation. But Magdi Yacoob did a marvellous job and four years ago our daughter produced our only grandson.

Hence my question about "who are actually complaining about the Leeds decision?".

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