HEART attack patients who call for help are more likely get timely ambulance treatment in our region than almost anywhere else in England.

New figures released by the MINAP report (Myocardial Infection National Audit Project) have given a snapshot of how quickly patients are being treated after they call for help.

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) has come out second in the country for how speedily patients are given vital thrombalytic drugs after they dial 999.

Thrombolytic drugs are used for certain types of heart attack. They work by dissolving clots and are more effective the more quickly they are given after symptoms start.

Last year in Yorkshire, 70 per cent of patients who called out the YAS were given thrombolytic treatment within an hour of their call.

The service was one of only three which beat a national 68 per cent target.

John Darley, operations director for YAS, said: "Where patients have suffered a heart attack, it is essential to get them treatment as soon as possible, whether this is delivered by the ambulance service paramedics (pre-hospital thrombolysis) or by a specialist hospital within 60 minutes - the golden hour'.

"YAS is delighted to have beaten the target for the number of patients who receive thrombolytic treatment within 60 minutes of calling for help during 2006-2007.

"The figure of 70 per cent for YAS in the MINAP Report reflects the excellent work staff have put in over the past year and the training that has taken place for paramedics in delivering pre-hospital thrombolysis.

"YAS continues to train more paramedics in the delivery of pre-hospital thrombolysis. This will significantly improve our capability for delivering thrombolytic treatment through our paramedics, which will increase the percentage of patients who have the life-saving treatment within 60 minutes."

The MINAP report also gave figures for how quickly patients had got treatment in hospital.

In York, 92 per cent of patients got thrombolytic drugs within half an hour of getting to hospital in 2006 -2007. That was well above the national target of 75 per cent, although it had dropped slightly from 95 per cent the year before.

But when it came to the number of patients getting the drugs in York Hospital within an hour of calling for help, Wigginton Road was well below target.

They treated 48 per cent of patients within this time scale in 2005-2006, which had fallen to 45 per cent last year.