NHS heart patients waiting more than six months for surgery will be able to choose from today where they are treated.

They can select a hospital which can do the operation sooner - whether it is NHS or private, or even abroad.

It means patients will no longer have to choose between holding on for treatment on the NHS or paying for it, said a Department of Health spokesman.

The news comes three years after The Northern Echo launched our campaign for a better deal for heart patients.

The Chance To Live campaign followed the death of Darlington father-of-two Ian Weir, 38, in 1999 while he was waiting for bypass surgery.

The plan to offer patients a choice of hospitals is part of a programme of improvements which ultimately aims to ensure a three-month maximum wait for heart patients.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn is in the North-East today to launch the scheme.

The Darlington MP is due to meet heart patients at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and will also talk to Louise Smyth, one of a network of Patient Care Advisors taken on to ensure that patient transfers go smoothly.

Last night, Mr Milburn paid tribute to the part The Northern Echo has played in helping to bring about the fast track approach. A spokesman said: "The Northern Echo campaign was a campaign in favour of the NHS and the NHS getting better and reducing waiting lists for heart surgery.

"It is very good for politicians when pursuing policies nationally to have support locally. And The Northern Echo's campaign was very important."

Out of 134 heart patients waiting for surgery at the Teesside heart unit for more than six months, a substantial majority said they were prepared to travel for surgery.

Dr Jim Hall, head of cardiothoracic services, said "We have had a very positive response from patients.

"Ultimately I think it will be a minority who will take part in the scheme, but the more operations that are carried out, the shorter the waiting times for everyone else."

Despite the speculation about patients travelling abroad, it is likely that the first heart patients to travel will stay within the UK.

For patients in the North-East, there are signs that spare private capacity may be available in Leeds, Sheffield or Scotland.

Dr Hall praised the initiative by Mr Milburn. "If we look back, our waiting lists were one year and going upwards, " he said.

"Now our waiting lists are less than one year and going downwards and we can see things coming on stream that will continue that downward trend."

A total of 450 patients are on the waiting list for bypass surgery at the James Cook hospital and the maximum wait for a non-urgent patient is ten-to-11 months.