A new heart treatment service will cut waiting time for patients needing life-saving artery-widening treatment from six weeks to six days.
Southend Hospital will be the only hospital in Essex with its own angioplasty, or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), service, which widens a constructed coronary artery.
Until now, patients needing the treatment have had to wait up to six weeks before being treated at the London Chest Hospital.
But next month Southend will start its own service, with a maximum wait of six days.
Consultant cardiologist Dr Paul Kelly said: "This is an enormous development. There are no other hospitals in Essex providing this service."
Dr Kelly said he planned to carry out a weekly angioplasty session, each treating up to three patients who will be able to go home the next day.
Nearly 80 patients are expected to get their treatment at Southend before the end of March next year.
Published Thursday August 19, 2004
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