People receive CRS after major heart surgery

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Service (CRS) has helped 13,000 people since 2004, but fixed-term funding is set to end later this year.

CRS helps victims of heart attacks and transplants patients, and is available in 13 areas of Wales.

The four main political parties said CRS was an essential service.

It is part funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the National Lottery.

But Denise Lewis, chair of the CRS working group in Wales, said it should funded annually by the assembly government instead of having to rely on fixed-term lottery money.

CRS helps people recover from a variety of heart problems. Its specialist workers design exercise programmes, and offer advice about eating healthily.

Funding for the CRS is coming to an end

Mother-of-three Elaine Reynolds, 54, from Aberystwyth, was helped by CRS after suffering heart failure last May.

She said: "I attended a local gym with a cardiac nurse and a fitness instructor and within six weeks I could see my life turning around.

"It means that it's unlikely that I'll need a heart transplant and now my quality of life is superb. I probably won't be able to return to work, but I'm on minimal medication.

"This service is vital and a lot cheaper than paying for a heart transplant or hospitalisation."

Ms Lewis, who is also the CRS co-ordinator for Ceredigion, said the service saved lives and was cost-effective.

She added: "It should be centrally-funded by the assembly government, but specialist health professionals are forced to raise money and rely on national lottery funding that is now running out.

"Workers are also forced to spend valuable time justifying the service."

A Labour spokesman said cardiac services were a "top priority" for the party.

The spokesman added: "Health Inequalities Fund supports more than 60 cardiac projects in all parts of Wales.

"Funding for the CRS will be considered by a Labour assembly government provided Labour is returned after 3 May.

"All projects set up on fixed-term funding know that they must develop a financial strategy which takes them beyond their original funding term.

"We will work with CRS to help them do so over the months ahead."

Jonathan Morgan, Conservative health spokesman in Wales, said CRS was "absolutely essential".

He added: "It's really quite perverse that this sort of rehab is not part of a package on the NHS.

"If an elderly person has a hip operation on the NHS, they would have therapy so there's no reason why cardiac rehab should not be part of a similar package."

'Heart attacks'

Jenny Randerson for the Liberal Democrats said CRS was an "essential service".

"Of course if should be centrally funded," said Mrs Randerson.

"It's an extremely essential service and helps stop people returning to hospital with further heart attacks and therefore saves money as well as saving lives."

Plaid Cymru's Helen Mary Jones said: "We have been pushing the health minister to resolve this situation for the past six months.

"The service (CRS) they provide is very effective and in the long term saves the NHS money.

"That is why we've been urging the health minister to ensure that the local health boards provide the funding for this fantastic service."