A leading hospital has won its High Court battle over a consultation exercise which led to proposals to close down its children's heart surgery unit.

The Royal Brompton in Chelsea, west London, said its future is in doubt if the closure - an act it describes as ''bureaucratic vandalism'' - goes ahead.

Today a judge ruled that the consultation exercise was ''unlawful and must therefore be quashed''.

The consultation put the children's heart unit at Southampton at risk also, and more than 250,000 people signed a Daily Echo petition to save the unit.

The legal action marks the first time that one NHS organisation has taken a case against another.

The Royal Brompton has an international reputation for specialist paediatric services.

Hospital trust chief executive Bob Bell said after today's ruling: ''We are delighted. This is a vindication for the patients we care for and for their families and our supporters.''

Adding that he had ''an element of regret'' that court action had been necessary, he said: ''We tried to avoid this, but we will not give up in our advocacy for being a centre of excellence.''

The consultation exercise was launched by the Joint Committee of the Primary Care Trusts of England (JCPCT) as part of a national review aimed at streamlining paediatric congenital cardiac surgery services (PCCS) around the country.

Sir Neil McKay, chair of the JCPCT, said: ''I am disappointed that the judge decided to quash the consultation on an obscure technical point that had no material bearing on the JCPCT's choice of consultation options.

''We respectfully intend to appeal the judge's decision based on his misunderstanding of the review process.''

“I am very sorry for the delay that this ruling may bring to the process of review given the continued anxiety and frustration amongst parents of children with congenital heart disease across the country and NHS staff working in the surgical centres.