THE number of mini heart-start machines being implanted into patients at a North-East hospital needs to double to meet demand, according to experts.

Only around 15 heart patients are fitted with the £25,000 mini-difibrillators every year.

But experts at South Cleveland Hospital in Middlesbrough say they should be doing at least 30.

While specialists at the Teesside heart unit say they have never turned down a patient who needed a defibrillator they say more funds are urgently needed.

Former runner Paul Harker's life was saved after doctors at South Cleveland Hospital in Middlesbrough implanted a tiny defibrillator into his chest last year.

The sophisticated £25,000 device is on 24 hour duty, monitoring his heart for abnormal rhythms.

If it detects a problem it will shock his heart back to normal.

Experts say that around two per cent of all heart attack victims could benefit from an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICDs).

But only a limited number of devices have been implanted. To help the heart unit Mr Harker, who lives in Newton Aycliffe, is organising a major fund-raising event.

'I just want to pay them back in the best way I can. They saved my life,' said Mr Harker, a father of two who received a defibrillator after collapsing after a race in Newcastle last April.

Eve Knight, spokeswoman for the British Cardiac Patients Association, acknowledged the Government's injection of more funds into the treatment of heart disease but said they needed to go further

'Much more money needs to be put into implants. By spending £25,000 at an early stage in an illness we can save lives and save money in the long-term,' she said.

Mr Harker is a member of a 33 strong group of South Cleveland patients who have implanted defibrillators.

'It is watching over me 24 hours a day,' Mr Harker added.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the Government had made the fight against heart disease a priority and extra millions were already being directed into this sector of the Health Service.

'The money is going towards cardiac treatment and equipment and extra resources are on their way', she added.

Dr Jim Hall, spokesman for the South Cleveland heart unit, said: 'We currently do around 15 ICDs a year. The population of one and a half million which we serve suggests we should be doing double that amount.'

He said there was 'no doubt' that purchasing health authorities needed to set aside more money for implanted defibrillators.

There are still around 30 tickets left for the fund-raising event at the Ambassador Suite at Darlington Football Club.

The event, which includes food and a live band starts at 7pm on September 16. Tickets are available from (01325) 300058.