NHS hospital suspends child heart surgery following deaths

An NHS hospital in Oxford has suspended heart surgery on children and launched an investigation after it was revealed four patients had died in the past three months.

The John Radcliffe hospital declared the move was precautionary and the external inquiry had been launched into the reasons for the deaths.

Families of children set to undergo operations at the hospital are in the process of being informed of the decision to suspend surgery, with the most serious cases being transferred to other hospitals.

In a statement, the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust said this was a temporary suspension designed to allow it to investigate “concerns that have been raised”.

It added: “We are reviewing each of these patients to ensure that they are not put at risk by any delay in their treatment.”

The health regulator The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it would be monitoring the trust’s review but would not launch its own independent investigation.