Heart attack patients are being given potentially life-saving drugs faster in some areas than others.

A report published by the Royal College of Physicians has found most hospitals in Sussex are making sure people receive a clot-busting drug within half an hour of arriving at hospital.

The earlier the patient gets the drug, the greater their chances of survival.

Five of the county's six hospitals which deal with heart attack victims have exceeded the national target.

This is to ensure 75 per cent of patients have the thrombolysis treatment they need.

However, Worthing Hospital falls well below the target, with only 63 per cent of patients being given the drug within this time. A hospital spokeswoman said the figures were not an accurate reflection of the work done at the hospital.

About 400 patients a year come through A&E with chest pains and only 32 of them qualified for the clot-busting treatment.

She said: "We have an agreement with the ambulance service so a lot of patients are given the treatment before they arrive at the hospital."

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton gave 77 per cent of its patients the drug but it also uses a different method called primary angioplasty to treat patients which brings its overall percentage down.

Eastbourne District General Hospital achieved 94 per cent as did the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath and St Richard's in Chichester.

The best performer was the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards where 98 per cent of patients were given the treatment within half an hour.

The report also looks at the percentage of patients who are given the clot-busting drugs within an hour of calling for help.

This is not just down to hospitals because the time it takes ambulance crews to reach a patient, give them treatment to stabilise them and take them to hospital has to be taken into account.

The Conquest is the only hospital to exceed the national standard of 68 per cent. Some fall well below.

The Princess Royal was 59 per cent, Worthing 56 per cent, St Richard's 62 per cent, the Royal Sussex 50 per cent and Eastbourne Distinct General 53 per cent.

All six properly ensured patients were given the right drugs such as aspirin or beta-blockers when being discharged to reduce the risk of another attack.

Sussex Ambulance Service has recently introduced training for paramedics to give the clot-busting drugs en route to hospital