SURVIVORS of breast cancer in the region are celebrating a U-turn by health chiefs to keep the centre that saved their lives.

NHS bosses in Bristol have agreed to abandon set in stone' plans, under the Bristol Health Services Plan, to transfer all breast cancer surgery services from Frenchay Hospital to St Michael's Hospital in Bristol.

The decision comes after hundreds of breast cancer survivors, under the banner of Breast Cancer Unit Support Trust (BUST), took their campaign to keep the service at Frenchay to the Bristol Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.

The support group, formed in 1991, claimed health bosses had shown no evidence the proposed centralisation of services would improve breast cancer services.

Health chiefs from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire PCTs have now, following their decision, agreed to conduct a wider review of breast services in the region.

BUST secretary Daphne Havercroft, who made a full recovery after surgery, said the charity welcomed the decision.

She said: "We support change but change for the better, and didn't see any benefits for Frenchay patients in centralising.

"More than 10,500 appointments are held for breast cancer patients at Frenchay every year, compared to 4,000 at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

"After being told there was no going back on the decision we had to resort to calling for a review. It meant we were finally listened to."

BUST chairman Jenny Wookey added: "We lobbied long and hard for a review of the decision to centralise surgery because we felt that the proposed partial centralisation of services was not in patients' best interests.

"We are pleased that the NHS has listened to our concerns."

Peter Stanley, for Bristol Health Services Plan, said: "The local NHS acknowledges the work undertaken by BUST in challenging the plans which had been agreed in 2005.

"We are committed to providing the best standard of service that we possibly can within our available resources for the local population.

"We think there may be ways in which we can improve our services further and this review will provide an opportunity to do this."

A review of the future of breast screening and breast care services for Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset is likely to take place in April.