A HEART charity that raised £600,000 for a new cardiac ward in Chester has said it 'beggars belief ' it was not consulted over planned closures.

The Chester Heart Support Group said they were 'very upset and angry' that they were not asked about cuts in beds for heart patients at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The group of ex-patients and their families spent 18 months organising fund raising events and collecting donations from the public to pay for a coronary care unit at the hospital.

And they continue to offer counselling to new heart patients and run exercise classes as part of the recovery.

Now the group have won a belated apology from the Countess's chief executive Peter Herring for the lack of consultation.

In a letter to the group's chairman Mike Norfolk, Mr Herring said: 'I do not expect there to be any difficulty in patients requiring beds. As there is not a planned change in the service provided I do not believe this was a matter requiring consultation.'

But this week Mr Herring told The Chronicle: 'In retrospect I think the proposals should have been explained to the Heart Support Group given their close links with the Trust and the affected wards.

'I apologise that this communication did not occur as it may have helped to allay the concern and distress that the closure of beds has created. I will ensure that the plans are discussed with the Group at the earliest opportunity.'

Mr Norfolk said: 'We can't understand why they are doing it.

'In 1993 I attended a ceremony when the hospital became a Trust, and spoke on behalf of patients saying how good it was going to be. Now I feel as if I have egg on my face.'

Cheshire has one of the highest incidence of heart problems in the country and the Countess has risen to meet the challenge, appointing four cardiologists since 1993.

A new catheterisation lab was built in January, meaning Chester patients no longer go to Liverpool for a diagnosis.

Although the coronary care unit, which deals with serious cases, will not be affected by cuts, consultants are still considering how many beds will be lost from the cardiac care wards.