A new generation of expensive wonder drugs, which are keeping thousands of heart patients alive in Darlington, are pushing the balance sheets into the red, health officials have revealed.

Darlington Primary Care Trust is expecting to overspend by £292,000 by the end of the month. Next financial year the predicted overspending could be £730,000 despite the trust being allocated an extra £7.5 million by the Department of Health.

But PCT board members were told about one of the major reasons for the financial position -- drugs called statins, which are prescribed to lower cholesterol in the blood and hence help prevent heart attacks.

In January, 3,700 statins prescriptions were issued in Darlington at a cost to the PCT of £29 each. Annually the super drugs are costing the authority £1.4 million, which have pushed this year's prescribing spending £1 million over budget.

Director of Public Health Nonnie Crawford added: "New evidence is suggesting that statins are responsible for up to a 40 per cent decrease in deaths from heart disease and are the key to secondary prevention."