Dr Gibbons said there were issues that needed further consideration

Dr Gibbons asked Health Commission Wales (HCW) to reconsider its proposal to centralise the service in Cardiff.

Over 100,000 people have signed a petition opposing the change.

Dr Gibbons insists his decision was based on new issues that had arisen out of the public consultation process.

Welsh liberal democrat AM for South west Wales Peter Black said he welcomed the announcement and was optimistic the service would be retained in Swansea's Morriston Hospital.

But he added: "I think that we are entitled to be very sceptical about this announcement."

He claimed Dr Gibbons actions mirrored the situation over the relocation of children's brain surgery from Swansea to Cardiff - where a decision was postponed for more work to be done but once the election was over it moved anyway.

We all want neurosurgery services to be accessible and safe for all patients in south, mid and west Wales Health minister Brian Gibbons

His Plaid Cymru regional counterpart Dai Lloyd AM said: "Let us not forget that it was this Labour government that allowed paediatric neurosurgery to be removed from Swansea, and now there are concerns that the service will be removed from Wales altogether."

He said Plaid had intended to force a vote on retaining neurosurgery in Swansea in the Assembly next week.

Neath Labour AM Gwenda Thomas is one of those who has been fighting the proposals.

She said campaigners must continue to fight to ensure neurosurgery stayed in Swansea.

"The most important issue is access," she said.

Health Minister Brian Gibbons told BBC Wales that decisions must be taken on the basis of what was right for patients, not for "empire building or parochial concerns".

"Super hospital"

HCW has said a single service in Cardiff would help safeguard the future of this service in south Wales, and would allow it to develop a wider range of neurosurgical services for the region.

This decision, it added, was based on "solely on improving patient care".

Swansea NHS Trust has argued Morriston Hospital in Swansea was better placed geographically than Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales to serve all of south Wales.

Dr Gibbons said there were issues that needed further consideration.

He said the commission should take into account plans for a new "super hospital" for Swansea which were not available when the original report was drawn-up.

He also said an on-going review into the future of specialist paediatric services in south Wales and a report on the Wales Ambulance Service and the impact of the change should be considered.

Dr Gibbons said there was "widespread recognition" south Wales could only sustain one neuroscience centre.