The chairman of an influential parliamentary health committee is backing the campaign to keep children's heart surgery at Glenfield Hospital.
Conservative Charnwood MP Stephen Dorrell has taken up the issue with Sir Ian Kennedy, who led a national review of the 11 English hospitals providing surgery for children with heart problems.
The review recommended that the number of hospitals carrying out the surgery is cut to six or seven.
Glenfield would retain heart surgery in one of four scenarios put forward by the review – option A.
Mr Dorrell, chairman of the Commons Health Select Committee, joined other Leicestershire MPs in backing the campaign to save the Glenfield children's heart unit.
He said: "I strongly support option A.
"I have already spoken to Sir Ian Kennedy, who led the national assessment review of children's heart surgery, and will continue to make the case for the Glenfield unit in the context of the national strategy for these services."
Parents, patients and health campaigners are appealing to people to take part in a consultation by filling in a questionnaire stating their preference and attending a public meeting on Thursday, June 16, at the Walkers Stadium, in Leicester.
Mr Dorrell will be at the meeting, along with Labour MP Liz Kendall, who represents Leicester West, and Nicky Morgan, Conservative MP for Loughborough.
Ms Kendall, a shadow health minister, said: "I will fight every step of the way to save children's heart surgery at Glenfield.
"The doctors, nurses and other staff at the hospital provide excellent care for patients in Leicester and beyond.
"I've already held a debate in Parliament about the future of the unit and I will continue to press ministers to make sure we keep this fantastic service here in Leicester."
Mrs Morgan said: "I support option A and will be responding to the consultation."
Keith Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, is also supporting option A.
He said: "I will do all I can to keep children's heart surgery in Leicester."
Conservative MP for Melton and Rutland, Alan Duncan, said he supported option A.
People will have a chance to fill in the public consultation questionnaire at two other meetings being organised by the health watchdogs Leicestershire County and Leicester City local involvement networks (Links).
Eric Charlesworth, from Links, said: "It is going to be crucial to the decision-making for people to have expressed their views and taken part in the consultation.
"If people want to save the heart centre, they have to make sure option A is the chosen option.
"We need to make our voices heard, not just in Leicester but beyond."
The Links meetings are on March 30, from 11am to 1pm, at Digby Hall, Oadby, and April 4, from 7pm until 9pm, at the Leicester Tigers stadium.
To attend, call Kamini Patel on 0116 229 3029 or e-mail:
kamini@ communitiespartnership.org.uk
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