Following my recent letter to the independent panel reviewing the decision to move Glenfield’s children’s heart surgery unit, I organised a meeting in Parliament with a cross-party group of East Midlands MPs and Peers and the Panel’s chairman Lord Bernard Ribeiro.

I was very pleased that Leicester’s two other MPs Jon Ashworth and Keith Vaz, the Bishop of Leicester and Lord Willie Bach of Lutterworth attended to show the strength of local feeling about this crucial issue.

Lord Robeiro reassured us that the Panel will approach their review with an open mind, and without any preconceptions or bias, and that they will consider all evidence in a fair and balanced manner.

My East Midlands colleagues and I will continue to make the case for the children’s heart surgery and ECMO services to remain in Leicester, and fight to save this excellent unit.