CAMPAIGNERS from as far afield as Birmingham, Liverpool and London are joining an appeal to save a vital cardiac unit in the south.

We reported on Friday, August 12 how nursing cuts were planned at the nationally-acclaimed Wessex Cardiac Unit's base in Southampton, which treats young patients with heart conditions, including those from Dorset and the New Forest.

An internet petition, launched by Stewart Perry, of Surrey, is currently doing the rounds urging people to sign and give their support to a campaign to save the vital service from closure.

Up to 35 jobs could be lost at the centre. These are among 570 which are set to go across Southampton's three hospitals as Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust battles to balance its budget.

Mr Perry, who created the petition, said: "The paediatric cardiac liaison service at Southampton is currently under threat, due to compulsory redundancies of the lead cardiac liaison nurses.

"The service is staffed by four nurses; the two lead nurses are employed by the trust, and the remaining two are funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

"The BHF has stated that it will withdraw this funding if the lead nurses' posts are lost."

Bournemouth Teaching Primary Care Trust has sought to play down fears that local patients would suffer from the job losses.

But Mr Perry writes: "The loss of this service would be a tragedy for the thousands of families that currently depend on it."

The petition can be viewed and signed at www.stewartperry.f2s.com/cardiacliaison/index.html.

First published: August 19, 2005