Heart targets for Leeds patients met

St James' Hospital is hitting targets for heart patients.

Targets for dealing with urgent heart attacks are being met at St James' Hospital in Leeds, new figures show.

A report by the Royal College of Physicians also revealed Leeds General Infirmary is within 25% of the required "door to needle" time.

The Royal College examined the time it takes from arriving at hospital to being treated for patients between January and June this year.

The government says 75% of patients should receive clot-busting drugs within 30 minutes of arriving at hospital.

LGI was just 1% off target.

A spokesperson for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: "At that time in Leeds General Infirmary 74% of patients were treated within 30 minutes of arriving at hospital.

"Over the last year we have put various initiatives in place that has led to massive improvements.

"Now 90% of eligible patients in Leeds receive these drugs within 30 minutes of arriving at the hospitals."

New appointments

The trust points to the appointment of two nurses to support the management of heart emergencies in the accident and emergency departments at both hospitals as making a difference.

Alan Mackintosh, lead clinician in cardiology, said: "Providing specific treatment for major heart attacks within 30 minutes is a substantial achievement.

"During this time the patient has to be unloaded from the ambulance, receive an initial assessment, and have a heart tracing test. The test has to be assessed and the clot-busting drug prepared."

The target for next year is 20 minutes.