A REDDITCH ambulance crew has treated a heart attack patient with a life-saving new drug for the first time.

Paramedic Steve Yates and ambulance technician Albert Tonks transmitted the patient's electrocardiogram (ECG) to the Coronary Care Unit at the Alexandra Hospital using the Mobimed system, introduced in October 2000.

They were then given the go-ahead to give the 53-year-old man the new drug tenecteplase, which dissolves the clot that causes the heart attack.

Town crews have only been authorised to use the drug and issued with it since February 10.

Mr Knight said 19 lives had already been saved in Kidderminster since May 2002.