Sir, As parents of an 11-year-old daughter Katy, who we believe was the last child to be operated on at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, on Wednesday, March 3, prior to the temporary cessation of procedures at the paediatric cardiac centre, we would like to say how deeply indebted we are yet again to the highly professional team. Katy was born with a congenital heart condition called tetraology of fallots.

Dr Neil Wilson and his cardiac catheter team performed a procedure inserting a replacement stent that included a new pulmonary valve into our daughter’s heart. This is the second time she has undergone a cardiac catheter at the hospital, the previous occasion being when she was four.

Katy had open-heart surgery at seven months old and again at 18 months, both these interventions saved her life. Professor Stephen Westaby was Katy’s surgeon on both these occasions and he was able to give Katy the gift of a healthy, normal life.

In the hospital’s paediatric cardiac centre, one enters a world that is truly amazing. The professionalism, expertise, dedication, care and support is extraordinary.

There are world-famous people working at the unit tackling hugely complicated procedures that we would imagine not many years ago would not have been thought about, let alone undertaken.

There are no guarantees. We, as parents, signed a consent form and were made aware of the risks of such procedures. We had no alternative other than to trust the expertise of the team to do their job and we have been blessed with a great result yet again. We have had ten years’ experience of the cardiac unit at the John Radcliffe. The surgeons, doctors, anaesthetists and nurses all show a level of dedication that knows no bounds and our daughter would not be alive today if it were not for them.

Bill and Kim Homewood Peach Croft Farmhouse Radley