NHS MEDICAL director, Sir Bruce Keogh, says Professor Sir Roger Boyle should step down from his role in the Safe and Sustainable review of paediatric cardiac services in England and Wales.
Sir Bruce also reiterated that the Leeds children's heart unit is safe and that he would have no hesitation in sending his own child to Leeds for surgery.
His comments follow statements made by Sir Roger, director of the National Institute for Clinical Outcomes Research, which oversees NHS mortality data, who said he would not send his own daughter for treatment at the children's heart unit in Leeds.
He also told national media that care at the centre was "on the edge of acceptability".
However these claims were dismissed by Sir Bruce who stated that the unit is safe, hence their resumption of surgery.
As reported, surgery there was suspended last month after NHS England said it had "serious concerns" that data showed the unit had a death rate double that of other centres. It resumed again on Wednesday.
Sir Roger said that despite safety assurances, a comprehensive analysis of data at Leeds General Infirmary called for the children's cardiac unit to remain under supervision.
He said: "We find they're just on the edge of what we call an alert. In other words, showing that they were right on the edge of acceptability.
"I would go somewhere else. I would go to Newcastle."
However Sir Bruce's backing of the Leeds children's heart unit is supported by members of the Save Our Surgery (SOS) group – the Grimsby Telegraph backed campaign - who all fought hard to win a High Court legal challenge to keep the heart unit open.
Sharon Cheng of SOS said: "We are very pleased that Sir Bruce Keogh has reiterated in the strongest terms that he would have no problem sending his child to have surgery at Leeds.
"We hope that this will help to reassure patients' families who will have been confused and worried once again by Sir Roger Boyle's unhelpful and unfounded comments.
"We urge all involved to objectively address the issues raised by the High Court, listen to our concerns and move as swiftly as possible to an outcome that provides the best solution for heart patients and their families across the North, which we believe is to keep both Leeds and Newcastle open."
