HOSPITAL bosses have been accused of denying simple life-saving treatment to patients at Burnley's Urgent Care Centre.

Heart attack patients who call an ambulance are given clot-busting drugs either at the scene or on arrival at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, but those who make their own way to Burnley's Urgent Care Centre are refused the treatment.

Directors of East Lancashire Primary Care Trust, which runs community-based health facilities, called for urgent talks with the board of the area's hospitals trust over their decision to refuse to allow the procedure - called thrombolysis - to be administered at Burnley's downgraded former A & E unit.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said that it was reviewing the decision and that talks would take place this week to resolve the issue.

But health experts criticised the hospital trust's policy saying it put patients at risk while politicians called the decision 'outrageous'.

The hospitals trust came under fire earlier this year after it emerged that paramedics were unable to get patients to hospital and injected with the drugs within the 60-minute effectiveness deadline.

Performance dropped dramatically after the Meeting Patients' Needs clinical services shake-up moved all "blue-light" emergencies to Blackburn.

At Wednesday's meeting of the hospital trust board, Director of Clinical Care and Governance, Lynn Wisset, said the trust would receive a special dispensation, allowing it to escape penalties for missing its time targets because of "issues with the ambulance service".

But Cath Galaska, Director of Strategic Commissioning at the PCT, said in its board meeting on Wednesday that paramedics had now been fully trained to give the drugs at the scene.

She said: "The ambulance service is now more than delivering its targets for thrombolysis.

"The obvious question we have asked the Trust is why they are not thrombolysing at Burnley, and they have responded by saying that they are not in a position to administer and that it shouldn't be administered in the Urgent Care Centre.

"We are not satisfied with that response. It is putting delay into a time-sensitive system and it is not appropriate for patients."

Chairman of the PCT's Professional Executive Committee Dr Swamy Narayana added: "The patients who call 999 or go to Blackburn are getting the service, but those in Burnley are not."

Stephen Finn, chairman of the PCT's patient involvement forum, said: "If the training can be given to paramedics, then surely a consultant at the Urgent Care Centre can manage it."

The Lancashire Telegraph's health expert Dr Tom Smith said he was "stunned" at the hospital's decision.

He said: "I don't understand why they would do that because it is a life-saving treatment and the earlier it is given, the less long-term damage patients suffer."

Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle said it was 'outrageous'.

He added: "The delay could be the difference between life and death for patients with heart problems.

"What it boils down to is that people are being denied this potentially life-saving treatment."

But Burnley MP Kitty Ussher said thrombolysis said: "The treatment is administered when people have a very serious heart attack and the point is that you should not be walking into Burnley General Hospital but dialling 999."

Val Bertenshaw, Director of Operations at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said the situation was under review adding: "We are aware of the concerns raised and talks are taking place this week to address the issue."

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: "Whether or not it is available at Burnley is very much a matter for the hospital trust and PCT to sort out between themselves.

"However it is important to remember that which ever decision is taken it will have an impact on the provision of ambulance services.

"It is important that the trust is consulted in all the decisions and decision making process."