Oxford surgeon Steve Westaby has criticised a suggestion that children with heart problems should travel to Birmingham or London for treatment.

An independent review group had recommended stopping all paediatric cardiac surgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The Department of Health has told NHS managers to use the recommendations as a guide and has said there are no plans for immediate closures, although the situation will be monitored.

Mr Westaby warned the move would have a domino effect on other services, reducing the amount of care available for children in Oxford and making plans for a dedicated children's hospital obsolete.

The proposal followed the Kennedy Report, which investigated the deaths of 35 babies at the Bristol Royal Infirmary from 1984-1995.

It concluded that hospitals offering paediatric heart surgery should have no fewer than three surgeons sharing at least 300 operations a year, to ensure they were truly specialist.

The JR has two surgeons and carried out 115 operations last year. The report suggested closing Oxford to help Southampton and Bristol attract more patients. Oxford patients would go to Birmingham or London.

Lorraine Armstrong, whose son Matthew Cox has had life-changing treatment at the JR heart centre after being born with a heart defect, said: "I can't believe they'd even think about closing it all down."