Grieving families have been contacted by health officials after a rise in deaths following surgery at the NHS Golden Jubilee, Scotland's only hospital for corrective surgery for congenital heart conditions. The hospital board acknowledged that patient outcomes for its Scottish Adult Congenital Cardiac Service (Saccs) did not meet expected standards.
Data from Public Health Scotland revealed that mortality rates within the Saccs program had increased for three consecutive years, reaching 4.9% in 2024-25. This figure is higher than the rest of the UK's rate of 2.8% for the same period, and significantly above the 1.7% average recorded between 2017 and 2025.
The health board proactively commissioned an in-depth review after a routine internal audit raised concerns about patient outcomes. The Saccs Renewal Plan report, dated May 12, detailed that families of individuals who died between 2020 and 2025 were contacted between April 14 and April 18, 2025. The purpose of these communications was to inform them about the review, explain its reasons, and offer further engagement.
Complex surgeries within Saccs were temporarily paused last year, with patients redirected to hospitals in England for treatment. By the end of April, approximately 19 patients had undergone procedures in England. Low and medium complexity surgeries for Saccs have continued at the Golden Jubilee. The report indicated that higher-risk patients were offered treatment by NHS providers in England or could opt to wait for the Golden Jubilee to restart procedures. Emergency surgeries continued to be performed locally with multidisciplinary team agreement.
Arrangements were made to ensure continuity of care and minimize disruption for patients and families. Most essential Saccs services, including patient assessments, diagnostic investigations, various cardiac catheterization laboratory procedures, and the treatment of heart rhythm disorders, have continued without interruption.
The Saccs service performs an average of 78 operations annually for adult congenital heart conditions in Scotland, along with a smaller number of operations for non-congenital conditions. The report noted that these operations can be challenging due to the complex nature of patients' conditions and their histories of previous surgeries.
The Saccs review does not impact non-congenital heart operations, such as transplants, or other cardiology procedures. A health board spokesperson stated that they have maintained open communication with Saccs patients and their carers, addressing individual questions and concerns directly through their specialist team. The board committed to keeping patients, families, and partners informed as plans progress and encouraged any Saccs patient with concerns to contact the Saccs team.