Extra funding is to be made available to increase the number of heart operations at hospitals in Cardiff and Swansea, in a bid to keep surgery waiting lists down.

Welsh Assembly Health Minister Jane Hutt revealed on Tuesday that funding would be provided to ensure that cardiac patients in Wales waited no longer than 12 months for surgery.

Our strategy for tackling heart disease is long-term. There has been progress but I am not complacent

Health Minister Jane Hutt

The money would also be used to help reduce waiting lists for heart disease tests.

Capital funding was also being increased this year, with �5m available for capital investment in heart disease and cancer services.

The minister went on to announce she would be appointing a director of coronary heart disease services, whose role will be to support the professional advice in the strategic development of coronary heart disease services.

Her statement to the assembly came two weeks after Welsh heart specialists took the unprecedented step of holding a press conference to highlight a crisis in cardiac care.

They claimed treatment was lagging far behind England due to a lack of resources.

Jane Hutt : key priorities

In response, Ms Hutt told BBC Wales cardiology was "top of her agenda."

The Welsh Cardiac Group claims that hospital patients in Wales are dying as they wait longer than ever for heart disease to be diagnosed.

It contrasted with England where there had been massive investment to increase staff and build new facilities.

"In setting this year's waiting times targets, I expect the achievement of no-one waiting more than 12 months for cardiac surgery to be sustained," Ms Hutt said.

Milestone

"To ensure this, capacity is being increased at both Morriston and the University of Wales Hospital to carry out additional heart operations, this financial year."

Mrs Hutt said the key milestone of the coronary heart disease National Service Framework was to reduce waiting times for angiograph tests to no more than six months by next March.

Assembly members were told that �5m capital funding had been made available in 2002 for investment in heart disease and cancer services.

"We must ensure we tackle the causes of heart disease and that the services and treatments are readily available for those who need them," the minister said.

Commitment

"Our strategy for tackling heart disease is long-term. There has been progress but I am not complacent. There is a lot more work to be done over the coming years, and we are getting on with it."

Dr Bob Broughton, Welsh Secretary of the British Medical Association, gave a cautious welcome the news.

"We welcome these initiatives wholeheartedly - as long as they do not detract from much wider Wales-wide initiatives to improve the NHS across a whole range of other specialities," he said.

Dr Broughton said he was pleased that Ms Hutt recognised the need for more doctors to carry out the work, and hoped that cardiology specialist registrars would now be encouraged to stay in Wales after qualifying and take up new posts as consultants.

"Work is needed to ensure that their terms and conditions are such that they will want to stay and work in Wales," he went on.

" More consultant cardiologists are needed throughout Wales and the BMA is pleased that the Minister has recognised the need and is committed to tackling the issue."