Children’s heart unit in ‘very precarious state’

A surgeon at one of England’s largest teaching trusts has had their practice restricted following the deaths of two children, amid a “worrying and significant deterioration” in mortality rates for its children’s heart service.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust commissioned a review of its paediatric congenital cardiac service after the clinical team raised concerns about the surgeon’s performance as well as overall mortality rates, waiting lists, patient flow and culture.

The review found mortality rates at LTH were around three times the national average and had shown a “worrying and significant deterioration” over the past two years.

The findings have been published in the trust’s papers for its board meeting this week. It comes as its chair and CEO are leaving, and major problems have emerged in its maternity services. 

The service review was carried out by consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Massimo Caputo and paediatric intensive care consultant James Fraser, both of whom work at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. They found that rates of significant complications, reoperation and protracted length of stay after surgery had increased since April 2023.

A separate review, by Andrew Parry, a paediatric cardiac surgeon in Bristol, looked into seven specific cases of particular concern that all involved the same surgeon – who the trust has declined to name. Two of the children died, and the remaining five continue to receive care from various specialities including congenital cardiac surgery.

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Source: HSJ, 29 July 2025