SWANSEA'S cardiac unit could be axed under a new review.

The man in charge of that review has indicated one future option could see the service centralised, either in the city's Morriston Hospital or at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff.

But Swansea campaigners have said Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart would have a major fight on her hands if a decision was made to take the service away.

Phil Webb, project manager of the cardiac review, a specialised planner at the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, pledged there would be a full scale consultation if the service was centralised.

"If there is a big issue of moving to a single site centre there will be a consultation," he said.

He added: "We get extremely tribal when we discuss Cardiff and Swansea — what's important is we get the treatment and pathway right.

"Or are we going to be hung up on whether it's (the cardiac unit) in Swansea or Cardiff?

"Part of the reason for this review is there is a lot of perverse political incentives which has got nothing to do with patients."

He said if there was no good reason to have the two centres in South Wales then the siting of the service would need to be looked at.

During his presentation to members of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Community Health Council at the Aberavon Beach Hotel, he said rather than having services bunched up in Cardiff and Swansea, he would prefer to see cardiac services dispersed to district general hospitals.

He added patients were already being offered certain types of cardiac care at such sites, including pacemakers and angioplasty (the widening of a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel).

"We are spending money and infrastructure to support two cardiac programmes " he said.

"Let's explore it and let's not be hung up on whether we have got to have something in Swansea or Cardiff."

The project manager of the cardiac review stressed the patient outcome was of the utmost importance.

In a report which went before a Joint Committee Meeting of the WHSSC, back in September regarding the review, it said: "Whilst both our tertiary cardiac centres in South Wales produce excellent clinical outcomes, among the best in the UK, recent reports have demonstrated inequality in access to services and there are the significant inefficiencies, including delays to patient care.

"The current financial context provides a further reason to address the process and framework in which decisions on new cardiac technologies and interventions are made."

Mr Webb said they were keen to have an engagement strategy over the scheme.

He added it was important cardiac services were sustainable and the audit of cardiac services underlined it was currently "not good enough."

"We are going to make the service as equitable as possible," he said.

But Gerard Lawler, chairman of the West Glamorgan branch of the British Heart Foundation, who underwent an aortic mechanical heart valve operation 27 years ago, said he fought back in 1988/89 over the future of the unit and he would so again.

Mr Lawler, of Sketty, said: "If the Assembly Health Minister thought about it she would have a big fight on her hands — I would lead the fight for our future generations.

"The work they do at the unit is incredible. The centre has a 98 per cent success rate — what are they trying to do? I don't understand it — it's ridiculous."

The branch of the BHF has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to the unit. A spokeswoman for the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee said the review had not yet been completed and would be reported to the Joint Committee in July.

Back on July 11, 2006, the Evening Post spearheaded a campaign to help save Morriston Hospital's adult neurosurgery service.

It sparked a mass protest on Swansea's streets and a celebrity-supported 105,537 name petition.

But despite the scale of the opposition, a decision was taken in July 2009 to switch serious neurosurgery operations from Swansea to Cardiff, following a review.

elizabeth.perkins@swwmedia.co.uk