NEW treatment measures have been set up for heart attack sufferers in Scarborough.

NHS bosses say about 100 patients each year in the Scarborough area will be admitted directly to Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for specialist treatment, which will improve survival rates.

The introduction of new treatment measures for patients is a joint project between NHS North Yorkshire and York, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust and the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Cardiac and Stroke Network.

Bruce Willoughby, consultant in public health for NHS North Yorkshire and York, said: “For heart attack patients, reducing the time interval between the diagnosis and the treatment is critical as it reduces the amount of damage to the heart muscle and reduces complications due to a lack of oxygen in the body.

“Taking patients straight to Hull means the cardiovascular specialists at the hospital can perform the diagnosis and treatment quickly while the patient remains on the operating table.

“Not only will this reduce the risk of the patient dying due to the heart attack, but it will also reduce the likelihood of future heart attacks and strokes and potentially reduce the patient’s length of stay in hospital