Delighted

Earlier this month the British Heart Foundation urged campaigners fighting to save the eight-week rehabilitation classes not to give up and to explore every avenue possible to get them back.

On Saturday the Daily Echo, which has backed the campaign, revealed that after just five weeks the battle was won, with the announcement that the area's primary care trusts were to take over the programme in January.

The campaign was launched after it was revealed that the classes, held at leisure centres around Southampton and the Waterside, were to be axed as part of a multi-million-pound cost-cutting drive by Southampton's NHS trust.

Health bosses said the move would save about £20,000 - a fraction of the £15m savings target set after the NHS trust ended the year more than £7m in the red.

But heart patients from across the city insisted that stopping the classes would cost the NHS much more in the long run because, without the proper aftercare, dozens of people could end up back in hospital.

Now, following a meeting between trust chief executive Mark Hackett and Southampton MPs John Denham and Alan Whitehead, Southampton and New Forest primary care trusts have revealed they are to take over the running of the programme in January.

Stefanie Lillie, cardiac rehabilitation co-ordinator for the British Heart Foundation, said: "The foundation has supported cardiac rehabilitation in the UK for more than 15 years.

"Plenty of evidence shows that this essential service can reduce death by heart disease by about 20 per cent.

"It is excellent news that this service in Southampton is being reinstated - a decision no doubt encouraged by the campaign backed by people who have benefited from the cardiac rehabilitation service in the past."

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:

A SPOKESMAN for Southampton City PCT said: "We are currently recruiting a cardiac rehabilitation nurse to work within our cardiac nursing team and with Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust to provide a city-based service for Southampton patients.

"This will include providing phase three of the cardiac rehabilitation programme early in 2005."

A spokesman for New Forest PCT said: "The PCT is committed to re-establishing phase three of the cardiac rehabilitation programme early in 2005. This will see us working with City PCT cardiac nursing team and we are also in discussion with Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Trust to ensure that this service is available to all patients across the Forest."

Both PCTs have been developing a plan of action with a view to reinstating the programme.

They will also look at how to deliver the rehabilitation treatment in other ways. This may include supervised home-based programmes, working with community groups, and possibly providing women-only rehabilitation groups.