Universiteit Leiden

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Proposed decision by Minister Kuipers: Children’s heart surgery to end in Leiden

Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, announced on 13 February that he plans to remove children’s heart surgery from the Centre for Congenital Heart Defects Amsterdam - Leiden (CAHAL). He wants to concentrate this highly specialised care for children with congenital heart defects in Rotterdam and Groningen.

The proposed decision has come as an ‘unpleasant surprise’ to the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), where children’s heart surgery is currently performed. ‘We remain committed to caring for our patients and their loved ones with the fantastic team of healthcare providers at CAHAL, Amsterdam UMC and LUMC. We are studying the proposed decision and considering what steps to take.’

The Executive Board of Leiden University is also ‘deeply disappointed’ and said, ‘This has huge implications not only for patients but also for research and teaching.’

Both hospitals where children’s heart surgery is to end, the LUMC and UMC Utrecht, have two weeks to respond to the minister’s proposed decision.

Read more about the decision (in Dutch):

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