HEART patients furious that vital cardiac rehabilitation classes have been scrapped have sent a clear message to health chiefs -- the cuts could cost you money and lives.

Hospital bosses behind the controversial decision to cut the classes, which help people recover from cardiac problems, came under fire yesterday from heart patients who depend on them.

Patients part-way through the classes, as well as those who have completed the programme, met with the head of cardiac services for Southampton's NHS trust yesterday and told him the plans were 'unacceptable', and would cost the NHS more money than they saved.

A Daily Echo-backed campaign to save the stage three classes was launched following the news that they were to be axed as part of a multi-million-pound cost-cutting drive, after two of the five nurses who run them decided to leave the trust.

Health bosses say the move will save about £20,000 - a fraction of the £15m savings target.

Heart patients from across the city insist axing the classes, held at leisure centres around Southampton and the Waterside, will cost more in the long run, because without the proper aftercare, dozens of people could end up back in hospital.

Yesterday Robbie Burns, acting clinical services manager for Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, attended the very last stage three class to be held, where he came under heavy criticism from angry heart patients.

Ian Lessiter, 70, told him any research carried out in making the decision should have included looking at the difference in the number of hospital admissions and deaths between those who had attended the classes and those who had not.

"How can you do this without the proper research that proves it is more costly not to have rehabilitation nurses than to have them," he asked. "You are going to cost yourselves more money by abandoning the service.

"You are going to cost yourselves money to save money."

Mr Burns told the group: "With two staff leaving and with the financial and recruitment rest-rictions that we have, we could not continue to provide the service safely."

The meeting at the David Lloyd health club in Southampton was also attended by representatives from Southampton City Primary Care Trust. Cheryl Harding, lead nurse for cardiac services, expl-ained to patients that the PCT intends to take over the classes but that due to a lack of communication between the trust and the PCT there would be an unavoidable gap in the service.

"We are fully committed to providing this type of stage three rehabilitation as you see it now and love it now," she said. "But we will also be looking to provide other forms. We want to build on what works but also look at how we can make it better."

Patients were still angry over the gap in the service.

"The gap is unacceptable," said campaigner Anne Fry. "We only have one heart. If we lose that, we are finished."

What do you think about the cuts? Are you affected? Tell us. Contact Sarah Lefebve on 023 8042 4996 or e-using the link above.