HEALTH bosses today welcomed the government's announcement to fight heart diseases with a £110million cash injection.

Health secretary Alan Milburn said the money would help to achieve key manifesto targets -- to reduce deaths from heart disease and stroke by 40 per cent by 2010, saving more than 200,000 lives in total.

Heart disease is the biggest cause of death in East Lancashire -- last year it killed around 1,400 people -- one-third higher than the average for England and Wales.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley NHS Trust welcomed the news and has already put procedures in place to slash the figures.

Anne Asher, service manager for acute services with the Trust, said: "Two rapid access chest pain clinics were introduced last year and the Cardiology Department was recently upgraded to provide improved facilities and equipment for patients. We are working on draft protocols for the management of patients with coronary heart disease."

The Trust spent £15,000 of government funding on upgrading the cardiology department and £42,000 on setting up and staffing the the chest pain clinics with money set aside off the National Service Framework on Coronary Heart Disease. A further £120,000 was made available for equipment.

And Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust is also dedicated to fighting heart disease.

Spokesman Chris Allen said: "We welcome with open arms any new money coming in to fight heart disease. We have a Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic and are always looking to improve the service we offer."

The exact amount allocated to East Lancashire has yet to be finalised. A Department of Health spokesman said the money will be divided later this year although added that "high areas of need," such as East Lancashire, will get the bigger slice.

Announcing the funding, Mr Milburn said it will be spent on high-tech equipment such as defibrillators and scanners. It will also be used to build more specialist laboratories for diagnosis and to improve cardiac rehabilitation.

Anne Asher at Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley NHS Trust, said: "The Trust will be looking at its equipment requirements so that a bid can be made once the money becomes available." Alan Milburn said: "Those areas with the worst record on heart disease haven't always had the best services. We've got to put that right."