A vital hospital heart unit, which saves a life a day, could close because of a lack of cash, writes Victoria Owen.

The Oxford Heart Valve Bank is desperate for 150,000 to renovate its laboratories to meet new clinical standards.

The nine-year-old centre handles patients with heart defects from all over the UK and sends human valves and tissue patches across Europe, keeping Oxford in the forefront of life-saving heart treatment.

Now staff have six months to raise the money to avoid the threat of closure. The unit, the second largest of its kind in Europe, was set up at the John Radcliffe Hospital by cardiac surgeon Ravi Pillai and Jill Davies, who worked at the first UK heart bank in London.

Ms Davies said: "We already have to turn down four people asking for heart valves across the country every day. If we close down, the situation will be a lot worse.

"The Government has brought in the new guidelines to make sure that patients are not put at risk.

"But Oxfordshire Health Authority just doesn't have that kind of money to help us and we will have to close down. "Many people will have to be put on other bank waiting lists and many will die on those waiting lists as a result."

Although technicians already make stringent tests on heart valves before they are used, new national standards mean all laboratories will have to be completely sterile.

Ms Davies added: "We have already had to start some of the preliminary work, but we want to get it done within the next six months.

"The unit will be ten years old on Valentine's Day next year and we want to be able to stay open for that. "If we can't get the money in time, we will have to ask the Department of Health for a stay of execution. We need to help people we save 350 lives every year."

One-year-old James Murphy owes his life to the heart valve bank. His parents, David and Sandra, were told he would die before he was seven if his heart defect was not corrected.

Mrs Murphy, 36, said that without the bank staff's help in finding a suitable heart valve for their son, the family would be facing years of turmoil as James's health deteriorated. She said: "We are very thankful for the work they have done here. It is very important that it stays open. We are relieved that James is on the mend. You just can't imagine it unless you have children of your own."

James is now recovering from the four-hour surgery he had last week but others may not be so lucky if the heart valve bank closes.

Anyone who wants to help the Oxford Heart Valve Bank can call the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Trust on 01865 741166.