Heart Surgery (Leeds)

Nigel Adams Excerpts
Monday 15th April 2013

(11 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jeremy Hunt Portrait Mr Hunt
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I am certain that the right hon. Gentleman’s constituent would not want surgery to proceed anywhere in the NHS if there are question marks over its safety. Of course, when such decisions are made in a very short period of time, it is greatly discomfiting and worrying for the many families involved, who have enough to worry about anyway—I completely understand that. He should remember, however, how we in the NHS let down the families in Bristol and Mid Staffs by not acting when data suggested that there might be a problem. It is better to act quickly and decisively and then, if possible, to resume surgery, as happened on this occasion, than not to act at all and to find out later that we have been responsible for much, much worse outcomes.

Nigel Adams Portrait Nigel Adams (Selby and Ainsty) (Con)
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On behalf of right hon. and hon. Members across Yorkshire, may I use this opportunity to thank my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew) for how he has worked in a consensual, cross-party and non-political way on this issue?

Did the Secretary of State not find it at least odd that the concerns about the Leeds unit came to light within hours of the High Court’s ruling against the decision to close the Leeds unit?

Jeremy Hunt Portrait Mr Hunt
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The truth is that whenever the NHS medical director—