SWINDON'S Primary Care Trust has been saved from the axe, the Government has announced.

Health minister Andy Burnham confirmed yesterday that the Government would ignore a recommendation from south west health chiefs to merge Swindon PCT with its Wiltshire neighbours.

And PCT chief executive Jan Stubbings said it was good news for Swindon residents.

While the number of PCTs in the west will be cut from 12 to seven, Swindon's own organisation has been reprieved.

PCTs are responsible for funding GP practices, buying healthcare for all patients in their area and launching public health campaigns.

The restructuring will save millions of pounds each year and help ease soaring NHS deficits.

Last year, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA drew up controversial proposals to reduce the number of PCTs from 12 to three.

Under the blueprint, Swindon would have been merged with Kennet and North Wiltshire, West Wiltshire, South Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset PCTs.

But the plans, which the SHA recommended to the Government, were fiercely opposed by the town's two Labour MPs Anne Snelgrove of South Swindon and North Swindon's Michael Wills.

They like MPs across the west urged ministers to ensure the PCT boundaries were the same as council boundaries.

"I'm delighted," Mr Wills said. "We have been lobbying extremely hard for this.

"It's good for everybody. Swindon is a very different place to that which it would have been merged.

"Swindon is a well run PCT."

He said a merger would only have increased the amount that Swindon was subsidising other less well-run trusts.

Mrs Snelgrove said the pair had spent months lobbying to keep Swindon's own trust.

"We have been trying hard over many months to persuade the Government that Swindon should retain its own PCT," she said.

"This has also been the view of the PCT itself and Swindon Council and others and we have reflected their views to the Government as well.

The decision has been welcomed by care trust chiefs.

Ms Stubbings said the decision left the trust free to concentrate on serving the town," she said.

"We look forward to working to provide residents with the best quality healthcare they deserve."

Swindon PCT chairwoman Michelle Howard thanked everyone who had fought to save the trust from a merger.

Council Conservative leader Roderick Bluh (Con, Dorcan) said a merger was not right for Swindon.

He said other emergency services now needed to be protected.

"Nobody could argue it would be better for the people of Swindon," Coun Bluh said.

"It's disappointing to see fire and police going in the other direction."

The current 12 PCTs in the west are: Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol North, Bristol South and West, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, Cotswold and Vale, Kennet and North Wiltshire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, South Wiltshire, Swindon, West Gloucestershire, West Wiltshire PCT. The seven new PCTs will be Bristol, Wiltshire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset.