Most heart attack patients in Oxford are failing to get the vital life-saving drugs they need within an hour of calling for help.

Only a third of people treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Headington, during 2004-5 were given the clot-busting treatment within 60 minutes of calling 999 -- well below the Department of Health's 58 per cent goal.

The number of people receiving the thrombolytic medication within the time limit has also fallen. In 2003-4, 43 per cent were treated.

The specialist drugs dissolve blood clots that cause heart attacks, and although they are effective up to 12 hours after a patient is struck down, they should be given quickly to give victims a greater chance of survival.

Today's figures, published by the Royal College of Physicians, are pinpointed at hospitals, but also reflect the performance of paramedics and GPs, who are usually the first to treat patients.

The RCP report said: "There are various reasons why meeting this target is challenging for some NHS organisations, for example, where an ambulance service covers a large rural area and journey times are long.

"Delays in transporting a patient to hospital may also occur in heavy traffic or when a patient first calls their GP, who visits them before calling an ambulance."

An Oxfordshire Ambulance Trust spokesman said paramedics had used thrombolytic drugs since the end of 2004.

She added: "They can be used only under very strict guidelines and health protocols, as they carry potentially serious side-effects and paramedics need to be absolutely certain it's appropriate to administer the drugs out of the hospital environment.

"Timing is also an important factor. At present, any patient brought to hospital by ambulance in less than 20 minutes could expect to be thrombolysed once they reached the hospital, rather than en route."

Another DoH target expects hospitals to give clot-busting drugs to at least 75 per cent of heart attack victims within 30 minutes of their arrival.

The JR's performance shows doctors there are offering swift care to their patients.

In 2004-5, 87 per cent of people who came through their doors were treated in half an hour.

Belinda Boulton, cardiac manager for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for the JR, said: "The report shows the JR is above the national target of 75 per cent for patients receiving thrombolytic treatment within 30 minutes of arrival at hospital."

The RCP figures also show that 40 per cent patients at The Horton hospital, in Banbury -- also ran by the ORH Trust-- received thrombolytic drugs within an hour of calling for help.