§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice was given by her Department to the Bristol royal infirmary on the future programme of paediatric cardiac surgery for(a) switch, (b) atrial ventricular canal, (c) ventricular septal defects and (d) tetralogy of fallow. [20508]
§ Mr. SackvilleA protocol covering the future performance of all complex paediatric cardiac surgery in United Bristol Healthcare trust hospitals has been agreed jointly between my Department, the Director of Public Health Medicine for the south and west region, South and West regional health authority and the UBHT pending the arrival of the newly appointed paediatric cardiac surgeon.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department has taken to continue to monitor the success rate of paediatric cardiac surgery at the Bristol royal infirmary; and what steps she has taken to satisfy herself that the procedures are carried out correctly. [20510]
§ Mr. SackvilleMonitoring the results of treatment is an integral part of clinical audit and as such is the responsibility of health professionals. Audit methodology is continually improving, but there are at present no agreed national standards for paediatric cardiac surgery. Improved audit arrangements for paediatric cardiac surgery are being agreed between the United Bristol Healthcare trusts and Avon Health. In addition, my Department has just provided funding for a pilot project to assess the feasibility of establishing a national central cardiac audit database to enable cardiac surgeons and cardiologists to monitor the outcome of all cardiac interventions against agreed standards.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action her Department recommended following the visit by Stewart Hunter, Sir Keith Ross, Sir Terence English and David Hamilton in 1992 to investigate the Bristol royal infirmary's paediatric cardiac record. [20512]
§ Mr. SackvilleNo such visit took place.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has received on the reasons why the Senning operation was carried out in much larger numbers 417W at the Bristol royal infirmary as compared to switch operators in the 1990s and on the relative life expectancies and success rate. [20509]
§ Mr. SackvilleThese were matters of clinical judgement.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when she was informed of the record of open heart surgery on children at the Bristol royal infirmary in the 1990s. [20511]
§ Mr. SackvilleMy Department was informed in July 1994 that there was a difference of professional opinion about the results of an audit of paediatric cardiac surgery at Bristol royal infirmary. The United Bristol Healthcare trust management was asked to resolve the matter.