Girl, 6, has heart surgery cancelled for third time

A six-year-old girl waiting for a life-saving heart operation was yesterday turned away from hospital for a third time because no beds were available.

Jemma Evans, who needs surgery to switch her heart around, was being given "pre-op" medication when the cancellation came through.

Doctors at Birmingham Children's Hospital said she would have had to recover in intensive care and the last bed had been taken by an emergency case.

Jemma, from Bridgwater, Somerset, had two earlier operations cancelled. Her divorced parents, Karen Webber and Mark Evans, were in tears as nurses removed drip tubes for her to go home. Surgery has been rescheduled for next week.

Mrs Webber said: "What has the health service come to when a heart operation is not considered serious enough to honour? We had prepared Jemma for this day. Jemma only seems to be a statistic to the hospital and we are scared we are going to lose her before anyone acts."

The first operation was cancelled at Bristol Royal Infirmary because of staff shortages. A spokesman for Birmingham Children's Hospital said: "It was anticipated a bed would be available. Unfortunately, it was taken with an urgent transfer."