THE first specialised cardiac unit of its kind in the country is to be opened at a North-East leisure centre.

A physiotherapist and nurse will work in the unit at Eastbourne Sports Complex, in Darlington, in a bid to forge closer links between coronary care and exercise.

The aim of the unit is to reduce the number of deaths from coronary heart disease.

At present 29 per cent of male deaths and 21 per cent of female deaths in Darlington are attributed to coronary heart disease.

The Northern Echo launched a campaign to reduce NHS waiting lists after photographer and father-of-two Ian Weir died in 1998, while he waited for a life-saving heart operation.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said that people would be able to have programmes of exercise worked out for them by the nurse and physiotherapist in the Pulse Suite gym from this month.

"It will hopefully reduce the amount of deaths from heart disease in Darlington," he said.

"The nurse and physio will give advice on exercise and diet. It's an extension of our exercise by prescription scheme at the Dolphin Centre."

The exercise by prescription scheme enables GPs to refer patients to the gym if they believe exercise will make a difference to their health and improve their recovery from an illness or operation.

Patients get a number of sessions at a reduced rate and staff work out a programme of exercise for them.

The Northern Echo's A Chance to Live campaign has the backing of Health Minister and Darlington MP Alan Milburn, who was a friend of Mr Weir.

At the time of Mr Weir's death the average waiting times for treatment in the UK was 12 months, compared to three months elsewhere in western Europe.

After Mr Weir died Mr Milburn pledged to cut maximum waiting times to six months and then cut them again to three months.