Health secretary Frank Dobson has announced that the use of Kasai portoenterostomy - a surgical procedure used to treat children with severe liver problems - will be limited to three centres in England, following a report from the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group which found that patient outcomes were better in centres that saw more cases. Units run by King's Healthcare trust in London and Birmingham Children's Hospital trust will provide the operation immediately, while Leeds Teaching Hospitals trust will be developed as a third national centre.