CHILDREN’S heart surgery will remain suspended at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital until at least August.

An independent review into paediatric cardiac surgery at the JR following the deaths of four babies after surgery is not likely to be completed until the end of July.

All four children were operated on by the same surgeon, Caner Salih, who was appointed consultant at the hospital 15 months ago.

Mr Salih had already resigned to move to Guy’s and St Thomas Foundation Trust in London before the JR issue was made public.

The independent review is examining “all aspects of patient care in relation to these children”.

It is chaired by Dr Bill Kirkup, the former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England. Recommendations are expected to be presented to the hospital, the Strategic Health Authority and families of the dead children on July 29.

The review, led by the South Central Strategic Health Authority, will cover paediatric cardiac surgical services in Oxford from January last year until the service was suspended last month.

The panel will consider all the deaths that occurred during this time, to provide a detailed analysis of why deaths occurred and a “comprehensive view” of each child’s treatment.

The JR has refused to be drawn on the cause of the four deaths until outside experts have investigated the circumstances, but managers say all four infants were “very sick” before their operations.

Last night Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust said families of children awaiting cardiac surgery had been contacted, with patients needing to be seen urgently placed with other hospitals.