A SCOTTISH hospital has the fastest times in the UK for carrying out a potentially life-saving treatment on heart attack victims.
Health Secretary Alex Neil praised staff at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, after statistics showed it takes them 21 minutes from when a patient first comes through the doors to carry out a "balloon angioplasty".
The procedure, which is also known as a primary percutaneous coronary intervention, is a specialist treatment which improves the chance of survival after a heart attack and reduces the likelihood of patients suffering permanent damage.
Mr Neil said: "The fact this process takes just 21 minutes is a tribute to the dedication and drive for improvement we see not only from staff at the Golden Jubilee, but across Scotland's NHS."
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