Final Report > Chapter 7: The Audit and Monitoring of the Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Service in Bristol > How the clinicians in Bristol reviewed paediatric cardiac surgery > Statistics relating to the clinical performance of specialist centres elsewhere in the UK

Statistics relating to the clinical performance of specialist centres elsewhere in the UK

23 Statistics relating to PCS at other specialist centres, for the purpose of comparison, were available to the clinicians in Bristol from a range of external sources. Principal among these were the annual reports from the UKCSR, distributed by the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. These contained aggregated data on numbers of operations and numbers of deaths, derived from the returns made to the Register by each of the specialist centres in paediatric and adult cardiac surgery in the UK. These figures were used by the clinicians in Bristol to draw comparisons between their clinical performance and that of specialist centres elsewhere. Mr Dhasmana stated that: `The [UKCSR] provided annual figures in the form of averages compiled from the returns to the Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. All cardiac centres in the UK, including supra-regional centres, would be providing data for the register. ... The UKCSR annual figures were the only known comparator during this time.' [19]

24 It is less clear whether the Bristol clinicians saw reports emanating from the Supra Regional Services Advisory Group (SRSAG). In particular, it is unclear whether they saw either of the two Working Party reports, commissioned by the SRSAG and produced respectively in 1989 and 1992. These showed the relative performance in terms of mortality of the different units carrying out paediatric cardiac surgery on children under 1. Dr Joffe told the Inquiry that he had not seen the 1989 report until he gave oral evidence to the Inquiry in 1999. Mr Dhasmana said he did not receive any regular feedback regarding other centres from the SRSAG. Mr Wisheart, when asked by Leading Counsel to the Inquiry about these reports, stated: `I have more difficulty with my recollections there because I certainly saw some reports but I have seen other documents, through this Inquiry chiefly, which I had never seen before.' [20]

25 Statistics on clinical outcomes at specialist units elsewhere in the UK were also available to the clinicians from professional meetings, other professional contacts, and professional journals. Mr Wisheart referred to sharing data with other centres: `This took place through communication and publication of data within the context of peer reviewed scientific meetings and journals, including the informal meetings of paediatric cardiac surgeons in Great Britain from 1990.' [21] Mr Dhasmana stated: `... there was some scepticism attached to information received in conversations with colleagues from other centres, as people did not normally like to talk about problems faced during operations.' [22]

Footnotes

[19] WIT 0084 0051 Mr Dhasmana

[20] T94 p.85 Mr Wisheart

[21] WIT 0120 0292 Mr Wisheart

[22] WIT 0084 0052 Mr Dhasmana