A decision will be made later this week, which could shape the future of care for heart attack patients across South Devon.

Politicians from across the spectrum are urging health chiefs to reconsider the plan, which could see patients driven to Exeter rather than to Torbay Hospital for treatment.

They say the extra time taken to get people from locations as far away as the most southerly tip of the county in the South Hams could put lives at risk. It is estimated that the average ambulance travel times will increase from 15 minutes to 43.

The issue is on the agenda for a meeting of the Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB) later this week.

The board papers say the move will help cut costs and release resources to cut treatment backlogs. The number of people being treated for heart attacks is falling, according to the board, and a change in the way the service is delivered will ‘maximise value’.

The report sums up: “NHS Devon believes that consolidating centres for the Devon population may provide increased value with minimal and clinically acceptable impact on safety and quality.”

It intends to launch a ‘test and learn’ trial of the new arrangements. However, local politicians have urged the board to re-think the plans.

The issue was also raised by local MPs in the House of Commons.

South Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden told fellow MPs: “Those in the largely rural area of South Devon will be severely threatened because somebody decided it would be a good idea to merge coronary care with Exeter, meaning a potential increase of up to 45 minutes in ambulance times for constituents from the south of my constituency to get to hospital.

“It is clearly going to put people in critical danger, and we desperately need the ICB to reconsider this poorly thought-out decision.”