From an ethical standpoint, centralising cardiac treatment away from the Bay is anti-Hippocratic as it knowingly subjects patients to avoidable harm. Delaying treatment by minutes means more cardiac muscle damage and long-term complications, incurring lifetime costs to the NHS in the form of medication, ongoing surveillance and hospital readmissions. Death of course is the other most likely outcome, which would save the NHS money, so maybe that is their objective.

Out of 68 cardiac centres in the UK, the Torbay Hospital Cardiac Unit is considered to be one of the very best in the country. The ICB's aim is to merge our first-class facility into the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital's Cardiac Unit, which is under-performing, with a long waiting list and with 46 patients having died whilst waiting for treatment.

To continue the very important issue which I drew your attention to in my last column, I would also like to bring you up to date.

I am asking for your support and help to put a halt to the increasingly likely closure of the Cardiac Unit at The Torbay Hospital and its subsequent move to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.