BOLTON cardiac patients say they are shocked by proposals to send people to Liverpool for important heart surgery.

NHS England has announced plans for surgery for adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) to be moved from Manchester.

It follows a national review which could see CHD services in Central Manchester Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) - which includes Manchester Royal Infirmary - transferred to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Bolton Cardiac Support Group chairman David Houghton said yesterday's announcement left a lot of uncertainty over the future of the vital service.

He said: "My initial reaction to the news was shock, there was a feeling of complete and utter horror. We don't have the full details yet but this could affect many patients in Bolton.

"A lot of us go to Manchester Royal, but it's not just the idea of the inconvenience. What happens in the event you need that service quickly?

"They have not given us a lot of details but it will affect people. Worse still, over the years successive governments have ploughed millions and millions of pounds into treatment for heart patients and now it's like they are saying to just forget it.

"All that money spent on the hospitals cardiology and that's just going to disappear."

All units providing adult and children's congenital heart surgery in England were assessed against new standards to work out if they were providing good care.

While they were all found to be providing safe care, NHS England said some saw too few cases to maintain standards.

The Manchester hospital operated on around 90 patients a year.

They hope that by centralising services, outcomes for patients will continue to improve, with more patients surviving and those children born with congenital heart defects living longer into adulthood.

The changes are due to be brought in from April next year.

Under the plans, 13 level 1 centres that currently perform surgery will be cut to 10 and nine level 2 specialist cardiac centres will be cut to four.

A spokesman for CMFT said the trust was "disappointed" with the decision, but patient care was paramount.

They added: "To that end we are seeking urgent clarification from NHS England on the practical details of the transfer process and timescales, so that we can reassure our patients and staff and try to address their concerns.

"Our priority will be to work closely with colleagues in both NHS England and Liverpool to make the transition as safe and smooth as possible for our patients and their families."

Specialist ante-natal care for pregnant women with heart disease and their babies will remain in Manchester, while babies born at Saint Mary's Hospital who require heart surgery are already transferred to Alder Hey Hospital for treatment.

Other cardiology services provided by the Trust are not affected by the changes.