DORSET parents who campaigned to save children’s heart surgery at Southampton Hospital are bracing themselves to fight again after the government announced another review.

Just three months after campaigners celebrated the news that the specialist unit at Southampton Hospital was to be among the seven centres to continue performing heart surgery on children, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said there will be a new “very thorough review” of the decision.

The NHS had said it was to close the units at Leeds General Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital and Leicester and the Royal Brompton in London as part of a plan to concentrate expertise in this field in fewer locations.

But despite the initial decision process having taken almost a year and a half to complete, the matter has now been referred to The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) following intense pressure from communities around the threatened units.

The panel has been asked to look in detail at how the decisions were reached and report its findings by February 28.

Carol Smith, vice-chairman of the Children’s Heart Support Network (formerly Wessex Children’s Heart Circle), said: “The parents who have contacted me feel it is just a waste of time and a waste of money.

“Regardless of any review which is going on it is clear Southampton should be safe,” she said.

But she said the families’ fight “would not be diminished”.

“Absolutely people would campaign again if that was what was needed,” she added.

“Everybody feels so strongly about it.

“You can’t have the second best unit in the country and not feel strongly.”

Many parents credit the unit, its surgeons and staff with having saved the lives of their children.

Among them are Jo Mills, from Creekmoor, whose daughter Megan had open heart surgery in January 2011, and Nicky Broadbank, from Bearwood, whose son William was born with serious congenital heart defects and had his first open heart surgery at Southampton at just two days old.

The pair took to the streets in Bournemouth and Poole last year when they called on people to back their campaign, taking with them an Inspiration Wall, covered in photos of around 150 children who have been treated at the ward.