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Health Secretary, Alan Johnson said, 'The national roll out of the primary angioplasty strategy recommended in the NIAP report will save hundreds of lives each year and improve outcomes for many more heart attack patients.'

Clinical evidence shows that using angioplasty as the main treatment for heart attack patients will:

• Save around 240 more lives per year
  
• Reduce complications from treatment of heart attack
  
• Reduce reoccurrence of heart attack
  
• Prevent around 260 strokes per year
  
• Decrease the length of stay in hospital for primary angioplasty patients.

Currently, thrombolysis, the injection of life saving clot busting drugs, is the most common treatment for heart attack patients. Primary angioplasty, is widely believed to provide superior outcomes, provided that it can be delivered quickly. Angioplasty is the procedure of inserting, then inflating, a small balloon in the blocked coronary artery, leaving a rigid support to restore blood flow.

The NIAP report concludes that 97 percent of people in England can receive the treatment within acceptable treatment times (120 minutes from call for professional help to treatment). Those who cannot get treatment on time, or those who are unable to have angioplasty for health reasons, will still be treated with early thrombolysis.

NHS commissioners, cardiac network and providers are expected to take forward the report’s good practice guidance according to local priorities and in line with Professor Lord Darzi Next Stage Review.

The Department will monitor the extent of rollout and patient outcomes and help clinicians to benchmark progress with clinical performance indicators.

• Treatment of heart attack national guidance: final report of the National Infarct Angioplasty Project (NIAP)