PARENTS concerned about the standard of care in UK child heart units have met with NHS bosses in Leeds.

After the meeting, the 15-strong group issued a statement welcoming assurances from NHS England that "they are continuing to review and analyse a number of cases with a view to ensuring that all services provided at the Leeds unit are delivered to the highest clinical and duty of care standards."

The meeting took place against the background of continued uncertainty over the future of the child heart unit at the Leeds General Infirmary.

Last July, following an extensive period of consultation, NHS chiefs decided that the Leeds unit should be closed as part of a move to concentrate complex child heart surgery in fewer centres, including the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

This was strongly opposed by campaigners in Leeds who recently blocked closure moves after successfully mounting a legal challenge.

The fate of the Leeds unit is expected to be known later this year.

The new group, Fragile Hearts, was set up by parents of patients after child heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary was briefly suspended and then restarted.earlier this year. Most are from the Leeds area.

The statement from Fragile Hearts added: "We feel the continued dialogue between both parties, will help to drive the right outcome in this long running saga of reconfiguring children's heart surgery in England."

A spokesman for the LGI said: "Whilst we recognise there are individuals who have concerns and we take every single complaint seriously, we have had discussions with the Care Quality Commission who have indicated they are content with our response to issues they have been contacted about in the past. The overall level of patient and family satisfaction with the unit at Leeds General Infirmary is very high."