HEART operations have been suspended at Glasgow's new children's hospital following the death of three infants.

An investigation has been launched after three babies with complex congenital heart conditions died after undergoing surgery at Yorkhill Hospital.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) will carry out an internal review of paediatric cardiac services and an external review is also underway.

The deaths are believed to have occurred earlier this year at Yorkhill.

All children are now treated at the new state-of-the-art hospital at the South Glasgow University Hospital following the closure of Yorkhill earlier this month.

Surgery will continue at the new hospital but all children with one of the most complex conditions - Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome - will be treated at Evelina Children's Hospital in London "as a precaution" according to government sources.

NHSGGC said the service would return to Glasgow once the reviews have been concluded.

The board said two patients had already been transferred to London because the operations were scheduled during the transfer of services from Yorkhill to the new hospital.

The investigation by the health board will look at anaesthetics, intensive care, cardiology and cardiac surgery.

The external review will be carried out by National Services Division, on behalf of the Scottish Government.

All other paediatric surgery will continue as normal.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "The families involved in these circumstances have our upmost sympathy.

"The Yorkhill Centre has excellent results, in line with the best in the rest of the UK. However, in light of these recent cases it is right that an internal investigation and an external review is taking place.

"Both will report their findings later this year and it is important everyone lets this process conclude before commenting further."

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: "The Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Service has a nationally set predicted level for survival rates and the unit continues to remain within these.

"Any deaths which occur are fully reviewed and in line with our ongoing processes of continual scrutiny and ongoing quality improvement we have invited external colleagues from another UK specialist unit to review our clinical practice.

"We have also established an internal review of the ways in which the highly specialist team involved in the delivery of this service work together to ensure that we continue to deliver a high quality service.

"All complex surgery continues as normal in the unit, however, for any patients requiring Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome surgery, this will temporarily be undertaken at Evelina Children's Hospital in London.

"We intend to return this service to Glasgow as soon as the Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Service has bedded down in its new location and once the reviews have been concluded."