Karen Allen reports on concerns about the Royal Brompton

The newly-formed Brompton Parents Group is alarmed by the alleged high baby death rate at the London hospital's cardiac unit.

An internal investigation into the results of paediatric heart surgery is already underway, and is believed to be almost complete.

But Josephine Ocloo, Brompton Parents' Group co-ordinator, said a public inquiry was "the only way to get the right answers".

She added: "We feel that we had to come together to form a group to get answers and we feel that if there are any other parents out there who have had problems to try to get in touch with us and we will try and support you."

'No problems'

The group has already set up a helpline - telephone number 0797 7046466.

It is hoping for a meeting with hospital officials to discuss the scale and scope of the current investigation to "ensure all our cases are included," said Ms Ocloo.

The hospital insists that there is no evidence of problems at the cardiac unit.

Parents fear being left out

But the parents leading the campaign fear that it will report before they have had a chance to air their concerns fully.

Parent Josephine Ocloo has led the battle for an inquiry

They also say that the narrow terms of the inquiry only include children who died during or following major operations, while many of the worries centre around other simpler procedures.

Some of the children involved died following exploratory procedures such as catheterisation, in which a probe is inserted in a blood vessel and used to examine the heart.

Ms Ocloo, whose teenage daughter died while under the care of the hospital, said: "There are 15 or so families who have now come forward.

"It's important that this inquiry is as open and as inclusive as possible.

"But we are afraid that some of these cases won't be looked at by the hospital."

And other complaints are believed to centre on the overall manner in which children's cases were looked after by the unit.

Parents involved in the Bristol Heart Babies' Action Group (BHBAG), which spearheaded calls for a public inquiry following revelations of a surgery scandal have come to London to offer their advice.

Many of the Brompton parents attending rang a helpline set up by BHBAG to voice their fears.

The investigation at the Royal Brompton Hospital was launched after a lawyer at the Bristol Royal Infirmary inquiry received an anonymous letter alleging poor results at the hospital in London.

The hospital has also been accused of a disciminatory attitude towards Down's syndrome babies requiring heart surgery.

Hospital managers deny refusing to carry out operations on Down's syndrome babies simply because of their disability.