Patients with heart problems are to benefit from a fast-track service, writes Emma Henry.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust has been awarded 90,000 to set up six Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics for early diagnosis and assessment.

Five of the clinics will be held weekly at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the sixth at the Horton in Banbury. The trust has also been given 70,000 to cover the annual running costs.

Business manager Beckie Burdess said: "This is an additional service for Oxfordshire residents and GPs. "We hope it will provide a fast effective service to our patients as well as helping to ease the pressure on our accident and emergency department and other outpatient clinics."

She said the clinics are aimed at patients who visit their GP complaining of heart pain.

The doctor will be able to ring through to a central bureau and book a slot for their patient to be seen.

All appointments should be made within two weeks. Each patient will be seen by a team of professionals, led by a cardiologist. Most will be asked to undertake an ECG and exercise test.

Patients will then get one or a combination of the following: a further consultant outpatient appointment, future diagnostic testing, medical therapy or return to GP care.

The trust is advertising for staff to run the clinics and hopes to have them up and running by October 1.