SOUTHAMPTON could be in line for a new children's hospital, under plans announced by the Conservatives today.

The city's NHS Trust would join health bosses in Leeds, Nottingham, Derby, and Cambridge who would be invited to bid for funds to develop dedicated children's hospitals alongside their established acute hospitals.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said the programme would form part of a £300m review of paediatric services in the NHS.

It is intended to build on the findings of Sir Ian Kennedy's report four years ago into the failings of cardiac surgery at the Royal Bristol Infirmary which, Mr Lansley said, the government had failed to implement.

"After the election, we will initiate a review on the future configuration of children's health services," he said.

"Particular emphasis will be on how paediatric hospital services can maximise the contribution they make to the development of children's health services which are integrated and responsive to children's needs.

"Of particular importance will be to assess how children's hospitals can take responsibility for the whole patient pathway for children, with services reaching out into the community to support primary care with their specialist expertise."

A key aim would be the recruitment of more specialist paediatric staff.

Mr Lansley said it follows a warning by the Royal College of Surgeons that the NHS was facing a major shortage of paediatric surgeons.

At the same time he said that there had been an 18 per cent reduction in paediatric intensive care beds just as more children were being referred to specialist centres with intensive care support.