Hospital halts child heart surgery after four deaths

An Oxford hospital has suspended all children's heart surgery following the deaths of four young patients in recent months.

An investigation is now underway at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington, Oxford, according to a statement published on the hospital's website.

It read: "Any hospital might, at some time, have a run of deaths in a service that provides treatment for patients who are very unwell. However, it is right that we take a pause while we look in to the individual cases, to see if there is anything to learn from them."

The families of children that were awaiting cardiac surgery have been contacted, the NHS trust said in the statement, and those needing urgent care will be sent to other hospitals.

The four patients who died, described by the NHS trust as "very sick children", had undergone surgery at the hospital in the last three to four months. They died either during or after surgery.

The Care Quality Commission said they were monitoring the situation closely but are not launching their own investigation.

There has been no previous cause for concern at the hospital.