Julian reacts to High Court decision on Leeds Children’s Heart Unit
March 7, 2013
Julian has today welcomed a High Court’s decision in favour of the Leeds-based ‘Save our Surgery’ campaign, in their case against the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts.
Last year, as part of the Safe and Sustainable Review, the JCPCT decided, based on a points-scoring assessment, that the Leeds Unit should be closed. The ‘Save our Surgery’ campaign group, which wants to prevent the closure of the Leeds Unit, legally challenged the JCPCT’s decision, as it was felt that they had gone through the process with a predetermined outcome in mind.
Julian, who has been working very closely with the ‘Save our Surgery’ campaigners, had this to say:
“I am absolutely delighted to hear that the High Court have ruled in favour of the Save Our Surgery campaign and have found the JCPCT’s original decision to be flawed. This is testament to the hard work of families from across Yorkshire who have been campaigning tirelessly to keep the Leeds Unit open.
“It seems clear that the High Court’s decision is in agreement with the campaigners who believe the JCPCT treated the Safe and Sustainable review as a ‘rubber stamping’ process to achieve a predetermined outcome. The ramifications of the Court’s decision are still unknown and there is very clearly a lot of work still to be done in order to keep the Leeds Unit free from closure. However, today’s decision is a fantastic step in the right direction and a vindication for all those who passionately believe that the Leeds Unit should have a future. It’s clearly cause for some celebration.”
