FORTY-FIVE Worcestershire lives may have been saved thanks to a clot-busting drug administered by paramedics to patients suffering a heart attack.

Traditionally, heart attack sufferers would have to wait until they arrived at hospital before doctors could give the potentially life-saving thrombolysis treatment.

But paramedics at Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust have been among the first in the country to be trained to inject the clot-busting medication.

This means those suffering a heart attack can receive fast treatment in the back of an ambulance on their way to hospital - increasing their chances of survival.

By the end of this month, all of the trust's paramedics will be qualified to inject the drug to patients suffering potentially fatal heart attacks.

And the training has proved a huge success - with 45 patients being administered with the drug since May 2002.

Brian Chambers, director of clinical services for the trust, said: "This is fantastic news for patients.

"The paramedics have been telling us anecdotally that they give this drug and the patient goes from being extremely ill to being upright and looking remarkably better."

He explained a clot prevents an artery feeding the blood supply to part of the heart, prompting an attack.

"At worst you could die and at best you will be left seriously incapacitated," he said.

"This drug finds the clot and dissolves it.

Administering

"The quicker we can get the treatment to someone who is having a full-blown heart attack, the more chance we can dissolve the clot."

He said by paramedics administering the treatment instead of having to wait until they get to hospital, a heart attack victim is less likely to die or be left disabled and has a shorter period of recovery.

Russell Hamilton, chief executive of the trust, added: "I am incredibly proud of the great dedication and professionalism shown by all of my colleagues who have embraced this life-saving treatment and are already making a real difference for local people."

City MP Mike Foster said: "We often read about problems in our NHS, but these figures show the impact of life-saving treatment given by our local ambulance service.

"Each and every extra life-year brings immeasurable pleasure to family, friends as well as the obvious benefit to the patient."

The news comes after it was yesterday revealed improvements in treating heart disease means within a decade nobody under the age of 65 should die from the condition.

The claim was made as Health Secretary John Reid announced a pilot project to provide a 24-hour angioplasty service across England's hospitals in efforts to save more lives.