NHS heads may well now appeal against the High Court judgement.
Sir Neil McKay, chairman of the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts, which made the decision to shut the Leeds unit, told the YEP: “We need to hear the remedy and then we will consider our position.
“We are clear that an appeal is a possibility.”
He said the decision was “disappointing” but added: “If anything it has strengthened our resolve to keep striving to find a solution to the needs of children with congenital heart disease.”
Sir Neil, a previous chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said experts agreed there was a strong case for change.
He also denied that the fact that Newcastle carries out heart transplants and Leeds does not was the main reason that the north east hospital was favoured.
“It’s very important that people don’t understand for one minute that the transplantation issue is the single most important determinant.
“There were various determinants where we thought Newcastle was stronger. We took advice from national experts about transplantation and the advice was that it would be very difficult to move transplantation.”
He said the case had focused on a “narrow technical” point and quashing the decision would be “unfair and unnecessary”.
“My message to everybody involved in this is that I am more determined than ever to find a solution to this long-standing issue for children with congenital heart disease.
“We know we need to reduce the number of centres and that quest will continue. We have to get to the position where we have fewer centres.
“I never forget that the purpose of our work is saving lives and improving quality of life for children.”
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