Clegg all heart at launch of appeal

DEPUTY Prime Minister Nick Clegg visited a Sheffield hospital to launch a new fundraising appeal for heart patients across the region.

The Hallam MP visited the Cardiothoracic Centre at the Northern General Hospital to officially get the Sheffield Hospitals Charitable Trust's South Yorkshire Heart Appeal off the ground.

It will raise funds for the centre - which serves 30,000 outpatients each year - and the National Institute of Health Services Research Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit.

He heard presentations from representatives from the charity and the facility, before taking a tour of the unit to meet patients.

Appeal fundraiser Carol Denton said: "It is a hugely important cause and we are hopeful that following such a fantastic launch we will be able to raise significant funds to further improve the care of patients from across the region."

Demonstrators from Unison had also taken the opportunity of his visit to stage a protest against cuts in the NHS.

Source: Thestar