SOUTHAMPTON General Hospital is one of the only sites on the south coast with experts able to carry out the same heart operation that Tony Blair underwent yesterday.

The Prime Minister travelled just minutes from his home for an overnight stay at London's Hammersmith Hospital, where he underwent a two-and-a-half-hour operation to put right an irregular heartbeat.

But in the south, patients travel from as far as Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Chichester to Southampton General for the unusual procedure, called a catheter ablation. While most people are treated within two months, some less serious cases can wait up to nine months to have their irregular heartbeat put right. The most serious conditions are treated immediately.

Southampton-based cardiologist Dr Huon Gray said severe cases were seen well within the government maximum waiting time of nine months.

"Patients are dealt with according to clinical priority. If they are very symptomatic they would be dealt with faster than those experiencing fewer symptoms.

"Breaching targets carries such a high political imperative that very few trusts allow their breaching dates to be passed."

Dr Gray said it was difficult to know when it had been decided that Mr Blair should have his treatment.

He said it was possible it could have been advised when he was treated for heart flutters last year.

As the condition was "troublesome rather than life-threatening", he said most patients could safely wait to have the treatment when it suited them.

The consultant, who is president of the British Cardiac Society, added: "One factor is that we are short of trained electrophysiologists who carry out the procedure. As these procedures have become more sophisticated, these specialists are very important."