PATIENTS with heart disease are set to benefit from a £1 million cash injection announced today for York District Hospital.

Half of the money has been given to York Health Services Trust by the Lottery's New Opportunities Fund - the rest of the cost is being met by the trust.

The money should mean reductions in waiting times for coronary angiograph sessions.

It will be spent on refurbishing York District Hospital's catheter laboratory and building a second laboratory, doubling its current capacity.

The current catheter laboratory is fully used and waiting times for coronary angiography can be up to several months.

Coronary angiographs are detailed X-rays of the arteries supplying blood to the heart and disease in these arteries is one of the most common causes of cardiac problems and can lead to angina and heart attacks.

The scheme is expected to be completed within the next year.

Dr Rob Crook, consultant cardiologist at the trust, said: "The cardiology team is delighted with the news. The new facilities will provide a substantial increase in local angiography capacity allowing York patients to receive a more prompt and timely diagnostic service."

And chief executive Simon Pleydell said: "This is an exciting project to expand services, reduce waiting times and provide York with state of the art imaging facilities."

The lottery cash pay-out from the New Opportunities Fund announced today will see hospitals across the country receiving cash for cardiac angiography equipment and MRI scanners.

Updated: 10:41 Thursday, November 22, 2001