THE mother of a seven-year-old girl who died during major heart surgery at a Leeds hospital is supporting suspension of operations at the unit, as the row rages over the future of specialist children's surgery.

Helen Burton felt her daughter, Eve, should have been referred to the Freeman Hospital at Newcastle.

Operations were suspended at the Leeds unit on Friday after concern over mortality rates.

This followed a legal decision calling for further consultation over plans already agreed by NHS bosses to make the Freeman and Liverpool Alderhey the main centres in the north for childrens heart surgery.

It also follows criticism that the Leeds unit had resisted sending children to the Freeman for treatment.

Mrs Burton, from York, said since her daughter's death last March she had investigated more closely and felt she should have been referred elsewhere because centres such as the Freeman in Newcastle had more experience.

Eve was born with a complex and rare congenital heart condition and had her first operation when she was ten weeks old.

But her mother she did not look ill, she was enjoying school and not long before her operation had taken part in a schools choral event at York.

“We always knew she would have to have further surgery,” said Mrs Burton.

“But they never really explained strongly enough how risky the operation was.

"Since then I have looked into the condition and the risks and there are other centres that are bigger and do more operations, such as the Freeman.

"Part of the investigation is that they have not been referring children with complex cases.

"Parents with concerns about procedures at the hospital have not been given a fair hearing.

"I think suspending surgery is the right thing to do, it may be that it reopens, but if there is the slightest doubt about the mortality rates this has to be investigated.

“We went through the NHS complaints procedure, but personally I feel there are still a few unanswered questions."

There has been a storm of protest since surgery was suspended at Leeds.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has questioned the decision, MPs have called on the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary to step in and senior consultants have calling the validity of the data into question, following claims the mortality rates were double the national average.

More NHS & Health News