Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made in establishing a smaller number of specialist children's heart units, as recommended by the Safe and sustainable review of children's congenital heart services, published by the NHS in February 2011.

On 12 June 2013 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in Parliament that the Safe and Sustainable review’s proposals for children’s congenital heart services could not go ahead in their current form. In July 2013, after discussions with key stakeholders, NHS England established a new congenital heart disease review, encompassing services for adults as well as children.

The new review has now been completed and the board of NHS England has agreed its proposals. NHS England is now working on implementation of the proposals and commissioning services against the new requirements. This is being done in collaboration with provider trusts.