Daily roundup: Child heart surgery, immigration removal, and Gove apology

A review of proposed closures of children’s heart surgery units in Leeds and London has been ordered by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, following strong opposition to the move. The Guardian reports that patient groups, hospital staff and local politicians have all opposed plans to close the specialist units in Leeds General Infirmary and the Royal Brompton in London. Hunt has referred the plans to the independent reconfiguration panel after politicians in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire argued that the nearest unit to them after Leeds, which is in Newcastle, is too far away. The panel has been asked to report its findings into how the decision on closure was reached by 28 February 2013.

Force was used to remove a pregnant woman from the UK using non-approved techniques, the chief inspector of prisons has said. A report by the Prisons Inspectorate on Cedars pre-departure accommodation in Crawley found that the woman was tipped up and had her feet held by staff who used “substantial force”, placing the unborn child at “significant risk”. The report revealed that force had been used in relation to six of the 39 families held since the centre opened. On two occasions “escorting”, involving staff holding elbows, was used “to cajole children to the departures area”. Nick Hardwick, chief inspector of prisons said that if the children had been more resistant, the situation might have escalated, raising the risk of injury. But overall Hardwick described Cedars as an “exceptional facility” that “has many practices which should be replicated in other areas of detention”.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has apologised to a former teacher for playing up in class 30 years ago. The BBC reports that in a letter to the Radio Times, Gove describes himself as asking “clever dick” questions and “showing off” at the age of 15. "When I look back at the 15-year-old I was, lurking at the back of your French class at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen, I cringe,” the letter said. "You were trying, patiently, doggedly, good-humouredly, to broaden our horizons. And all we could do was compete to think of clever-dick questions to embarrass you and indulge in pathetic showing-off at your expense."

Every pound spent by the Family Rights Group saves £10.80 for local authorities as a result of keeping children out of care, a report has found. A study of the charity’s service by Professor Brid Featherstone, alongside think-tank New Philanthropy Capital, estimated that of the 1,830 families helped during the evaluation period, 30.4 children were kept out of local authority care as a result of the advice service and 12.4 children as a result of the advocacy service. Chief executive of the Family Rights Group, Cathy Ashley said: “A lack of understanding and co-operation between families and services is a key factor in children being taken into care. These parents are often afraid, angry and bewildered. By helping parents to understand what they need to do we can very often help them to turn the situation around and keep their children safe.”