SOUTHAMPTON hospital bosses will have to wait three years to find out if its children's heart unit will face the axe.

Despite being saved from the chop two years ago, its future is once again in doubt as the Government launches a new consultation into paediatric heart surgery across the UK.

In theory the new proposals could see all ten units - including the one at Southampton General Hospital - stay open but that can only happen if all centres meet the new standards and that will mean more investment by already cash-strapped hospital trusts.

Hospital chiefs in Southampton have confirmed that they are “absolutely committed to developing and expanding” the unit, which is one of their leadings services.

But campaigners also know that in reality, the closure of some units is inevitable because it is not possible for all surgeons to carry out the required number of operations set out in the new standards because there are simply not enough cases to be shared around.

Sam Prior, parent of 12-year-old Aaron who was born with a heart defect, fears decisions will be made on how much money each hospital trust can spend to meet these new standards, rather than the quality of the unit.

Sam, from Locks Heath, said: “I am bewildered by this whole situation. We had got the result we had wanted, the unit had been saved after so much hard work and campaigning by so many people.

“But here we are again, with uncertainty hanging over the future of our unit because some units will have to close.

“Ultimately, it will be down to the trust and how much money they are able to invest over the next three years to meet those standards and this shouldn't be about money, it should be about quality.

“We had great support last time and I just hope people will get behind the city's unit again by taking part in the consultation and registering for the event to show those making the decisions that our unit is valued.”

Dr Trevor Richens, a consultant congenital cardiologist at Southampton's unit, echoed Sam's appreciation to all those who supported the Have a Heart campaign, which saw more than 250,000 people sign a petition to save the centre.

He added: “That process highlighted the quality of children's heart surgery in Southampton and the service continues to be rated among the highest-performing centres in the country.

“However, following the launch of another public consultation, the future of children's heart surgery services across England remains unclear, so we would encourage our patients, their families and anyone with an interest in the Southampton service to get involved via the NHS England website to ensure their views are fed into the review.”

There will be an event in Southampton on November 13, where families, patients and MPs can once again show their support for the unit, as well as filling out the consultation response form.

As reported, the new consultation has been launched by NHS England after previous plans to concentrate surgery in seven centres - which included Southampton - and axe three others were scrapped.

The 12-week consultation is asking people to share their views on what they think of the new standards set out by the Government.

The consultation document admits that “tough choices” could be made as a result and that not all units would be awarded “contracts” to become a specialist surgical centre.