Annex A > Chapter 20 - Concerns: Foreword, 1984 and 1985 > Concerns > 1984

1984

6 In the context of the designation of Bristol as a Supra Regional Centre (SRC) in 1984, Sir Terence English, past President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSE), was asked by Counsel to the Inquiry: `Could it be said of Bristol that in 1983 there had been developed there a special expertise in neo-natal and infant cardiac surgery?' He answered: `No'. [2]

7 The view of Dr Norman Halliday, Medical Secretary of the Supra Regional Services Advisory Group (SRSAG), [3] was:

`... Bristol did not actually shine as a star, whereas many of the other units such as Birmingham, Harefield, Brompton, Guy's, GOS [Great Ormond Street], would stand out, so it did not seem to be one of the leading lights in this area.

`Q. "Shine as a star" in what sense?

`A. In terms of clinical work that was going on there, in terms of research, in terms of the results that they were getting.' [4]

8 Dr Halliday's view as to the numbers of operations performed was similar:

`Q. ... Is what you are saying that the track record in terms of numbers of operations done was not really a justification for Bristol becoming a supra-regional centre?

`A. Well, it certainly did not perform anything like on a par with the other units, no.' [5]

9 A table appended to the Report of the Joint Working Party of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of England [6] showed the number of open- and closed-heart operations carried out on children under 1 year old in 1984 in the nine designated SRCs:

The table also provided figures for two other centres which had applied for designation as SRCs:

10 The designation of Bristol as an SRC is considered in Chapter 7 - Supra Regional Services. The evidence was that the inclusion of Bristol in the list of centres designated occurred late, and that, in effect, the only claim that Bristol had for such designation was on the basis of geography. There is also evidence, set out in Chapter 7 - Supra Regional Services, from Dr Halliday and Sir Terence, to the effect that the Unit at Bristol needed to be developed if it was successfully to fulfil its intended role as a designated centre.

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Footnotes

[2] T17 p.68 Sir Terence English

[3] See Chapter 7

[4] T13 p.28 Dr Halliday

[5] T13 p.27 Dr Halliday

[6] Report of the Joint Working Party of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of England `Supraregional Services: Neonatal and Infant Cardiac Surgery', dated 1 September 1986

[7] RCSE 0002 0017; figures taken from table 3 to the Report