The Anonymous Widower

Larger Child Heart Surgery Centres

There is a debate about whether we should have fewer and larger centres for child heart surgery. The BBC is saying that some centres will be closed.

As someone, whose granddaughter was born with a serious medical problem and underwent serious surgery at a few days old, I can understand some of the emotions involved.

But too much of the arguments about more centres are about local pride and parents wanting to have their child referred to a local hospital.

But as someone, who has lost my wife and son to cancer in the last three years and has suffered a stroke, I would travel hours to get the best.

In my son’s case he was in a local hospital in Manchester, which was just too small to have the expertise to diagnose his pancreatic cancer and the diagnosis was not made until he was in Addenbrooke’s some time later. These smaller hospitals should be closed immediately.  But then votes and local pride always override scientific correctness.

February 16, 2011 - Posted by AnonW | Health, News | Cancer, Hospitals