The Rt Hon Andrew Lansley CBE MP
The Secretary of State for Health
Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London SW1A 2NS
cc The Rt Hon Simon Burns MP, Minister of State for Health.
6 July 20012
Dear Andrew
I enclose a self-explanatory email from my constituent, Dr Sanjiv Nichani, regarding the Children’s Congenital Heart Surgery Unit at Glenfield Hospital. I also enclose a copy of my self-explanatory reply to him. I am deeply disappointed with the decision and would like to bring a delegation of Leicestershire MPs to see you on a cross-party basis to discuss the matter. I look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency so that a mutually convenient date can be arranged for a meeting.
Yours sincerely
Edward
Edward Garnier
Edward.garnier.mp@parliament.uk
Enc
From: GARNIER, Edward [edward.garnier.mp@parliament.uk]
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2012 11:53 PM
To: Nichani Sanjiv - Consultant Paediatrician;
Dear Sanjiv
I am deeply disappointed and am in touch with Andrew Lansley by letter. I will also try to speak to him early next week and contact other Leicestershire MPs to arrange a delegation to see him on a cross-party basis. I will keep you up-dated on progress.
Yours
Edward
Edward Garnier QC MP
House of Commons|London|SW1A 0AA
-----Original Message-----
From: Nichani Sanjiv - Consultant Paediatrician
Sent: 05 July 2012 23:41
To: GARNIER, Edward;
Cc: TOVELL, Shirley; SONECHA, Meera
Subject: RE: Edward
Dear Edward,
As you know the Highest Ranked Option i.e Option A which was the highest for quality, access, deliverability and sustainability by a considerable margin lost out to Option B even though Option A was backed by 60% of the public and 6 out of the 10 Health Regions
The Families and Staff are DEVASTATED and the amazing thing is that as the afternoon went on Option B became more and more powerful and Option A rapidly lost lost ground such that Option A that started off 50% higher than Option b was less than half at the end.
Even the compromise Option, Option AB which is actually the best for the Country could not compete with the MOMENTUM behind OPTION B.
OPTION AB was UNDERSCORED ON ENTIRELY SPURIOUS GROUNDS which WE CAN PROVE, NO OTHER OPTION stood a chance!
The panel considered and discarded 6 New Options including Option AB without the Public Consultation that was DEEMED necessary for the original 6 OPTIONS.
Through the day it became very clear that OPTION B was going to come thru as the PANEL had ALREADY MADE UP ITS MIND and we can point to various parts of the proceedings that we watched LIVE via the net to PROVE OUR POINT,particularly when the FINANCE PERSON got up to discuss the COSTINGS before the FINAL RESULT had been announced and ONLY DISCUSSED OPTION B and G and NONE OF THE OTHER 10 OPTIONS!!
Also LONDON with a population of 10 MILLION was DEEMED by the REVIEW to require 2 Centres, yet the MIDLANDS and SOUTH YORKSHIRE with a population of 12 million GETS ONLY 1 CENTRE??!!
It also BEGGARS belief how Roger Boyle who in MAY of last year OPENLY SUPPORTED SOUTHAMPTON ( DAILY ECHO 25TH MAY 2011) was able to play such a HUGE ROLE in the proceedings as AN ADVISOR to the panel
The END RESULT:DESTRUCTION OF A HIGH QUALITY, EXPANDED CARDIAC CENTRE WHICH IS ALSO THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST ECMO CENTRE, on the premise of transferring the entire service to AN ALREADY OVERWHELMED BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL through a transition process that HAS NOT BEEN THOUGHT through
SO instead of being able to hire the 2 SURGEONS who have expressed a written desire to come and work with us and take us up within 6 months to the necessary team to be SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE, we will lose one of our 2 highly talented surgeons in the next 6 months because HE WILL LEAVE and WE WILL HAVE TO STOP OPERATING AND CLOSE because it IS NOT POSSIBLE AND UNSAFE to function with only 1 Surgeon.
THIS CANNOT BE GOOD FOR PATIENTS that we are all here to serve and MUST be STOPPED, PLEASE HELP US as the NEXT STEPS will have to be SIGN OFF BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience
Thanking you
Sanjiv Nichani