Hospital recognised for tiny pacemaker work
NGHA hospital that has implanted tiny pacemakers for 10 years has been recognised as a "centre of excellence".
Northampton General Hospital said the honour, bestowed by the manufacturer, was for the way "it has pioneered" the fitting of the leadless pacemaker and for training other teams around the UK.
The device is 93% smaller than traditional pacemakers, weighs about two grams and can be inserted in about 20 minutes.
It is so small that it cannot be felt under the surface of the skin, the trust explained.
The device, made by global US healthcare company Medtronic, has been used in Northampton since 2016 and in 2024 it became the first hospital trust in the UK to use the latest form.
The trust has fitted it in about 300 patients so far.
NGHDr David Sharman, a consultant cardiologist who implanted the hospital's first device, said his team had been training specialist nurses, cardiac physiologists and radiographers from across England.
"This kind of pacemaker is the future for pacemakers," he said.
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