Warning letter not seen by relevant body, Bristol inquiry told

A letter sent in July 1992 to the Royal College of Surgeons of England raising serious concerns about death rates for babies undergoing heart surgery in Bristol was not passed on to the NHS body responsible for deciding whether hospitals should keep their designation as specialist units, the public inquiry into the deaths of children who had had heart surgery at Bristol Royal Infirmary heard last week.

The letter from Dr John Zorab, medical director of the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, was sent to Sir Terence English, who had just finished his term as president of the royal college.

Sir Terence was a member of the supraregional services advisory group, which designated …