Sir Jonathan Michael,the chief executive of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, should resign as head of policy at our wonderful hospital – that it is wonderful is due to the nursing staff, not NHS management.

The likely abandonment of children’s heart surgery at the JR must rest squarely on his shoulders. It is his responsibility to ensure procedures are adequately planned, with the correct supervision and back-up staff.

The doctors and nursing staff do a fantastic job and it is such a pity that the trust’s leader does not have the same commitment and should now be representing the case for resuming cardiac surgery in children.

It was sad that children were lost recently because of lack of commonsense leadership.

Excuses won’t bring those children back but all we have seen is a bumbling apology and excuses, plus pointing the finger at surgeon Caner Salih.

If Mr Salih was not capable of successfully carrying out the surgery without tragic results, then Sir Jonathan should have made it his business to know the capabilities of all of his staff at this level.

Surely it is Sir Jonathan’s job to ensure that control of major surgery is carried out by suitable staff?

Dr Bill Kirkup’s independent review report states there were serious shortcomings in the care given to those babies.

So Sir Jonathan, instead of weak excuses and blaming others, do the honourable thing and resign.

Adrian Taylor, Thames Court, Eynsham