PATIENTS and public are being asked for their views on whether thoracic - chest and lung - surgery should be concentrated at one hospital in South Wales, instead of the current two.

Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales and Morriston Hospital in Swansea are the existing centres for such surgery in the region, the former serving Gwent patients.

But in future just one of these hospitals may have to be chosen to provide thoracic surgery, due to a range of factors.

These include a suggestion from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) that outcomes may be better if there is a single, larger centre in South Wales.

It is also thought that a thoracic surgery centre should provide at least 150 lung cancer operations a year. In 2015, there were 139 at Morriston and 151 in Cardiff.

UHW and Morriston each have two thoracic consultant surgeons, but the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee - which organises thoracic surgery services - believes that any centre needs at least four consultants in this specialty, to provide 24/7 flexibility.

That means the region would require eight such consultants, but the the RCS believes south Wales needs only five to meet demand.

The committee suggests too, that a single large centre could more easily cope with emergencies, changes and staff illness or vacancies.

It also stresses that patients will still get most of their treatment, outside of their surgery, at their local hospital.

Views are now being sought on whether there should be a move from two centres to a single large centre, and as part of that consultation, a public meeting will be held on Tuesday November 21, 10am-noon, in the Castle Room at the Newport Centre.

Full details are available at www.whssc.wales.nhs.uk/thoracic-surgery-services-in-south-wales which includes the means to send comments. These should be sent by 5pm on Wednesday November 29.

If it is decided that thoracic surgery should be concentrated on one site, an independent panel will consider the merits of UHW and Morrriston, taking account of the views of chest and lung experts and patients, before making a recommendation to the committee as to which hospital it should be.