Heart attack victims benefit from quick treatment

Ambulance crews will call doctors for advice over whether the patient should be given clot-busting drugs or taken straight to an angioplasty hospital.

The present system where paramedics take patients to a local hospital first for diagnosis will change next month.

Crews will conduct an ECG test on the scene before relaying the results by phone to a doctor for treatment advice.

The system we have pioneered means that paramedics and the coronary care team will make a live joint decision on the right treatment for the patient, at the right time and in the right place Peter Connor Scottish Ambulance Service

Balloon angioplasty, which involves threading a long, thin balloon through the artery and inflating it to clear the obstruction, has a higher success rate the quicker it is administered.

The move follows a joint initiative by NHS Lothian and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

In the past West Lothian patients were automatically admitted to St John's Hospital for tests and had to be transferred later if angioplasty was necessary.

Mike Grieve, NHS Lothian director of operations for St John's Hospital, said: "Lothian is leading the entire UK in providing the best and fastest possible treatment for these patients."

Joint decision

Up to 800 people a year have heart attacks in Lothian and about 230 may receive balloon angioplasty.

Peter Connor, head of A&E services for the south-east division of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "The excellent relationship we have developed with the NHS Lothian cardiology team has improved the treatment of heart attack patients.

"The system we have pioneered means that paramedics and the coronary care team will make a live joint decision on the right treatment for the patient, at the right time and in the right place."

Dr Andrew Flapan, NHS Lothian clinical director for cardiology services, said: "This is an exciting time for everyone involved in heart attack care.