Hospital trust is the first to fit new pacemaker

About 28 people are expected to have the new pacemaker fitted at Northampton General Hospital over the next year

A hospital trust has become the first in the UK to fit patients with a new leadless pacemaker.

Northampton General Hospital hoped up to 28 people would benefit from the Medtronic Micra devices over the next year.

The pacemaker weighs under two grams (0.1oz) and is administered to cardiac patients during a 20-minute procedure.

Dr David Sharman, the hospital's clinical director for cardiology, said it would provide a "huge benefit" to patients.

The pacemaker is implanted inside the right ventricle of the heart and is not visible to the human eye.

Northampton General Hospital said the pacemaker had a battery life of about 16 years and was 93% smaller than traditional devices.

Dr Sharman added: "This pacemaker provides a very effective, low-risk option for pacing that minimises the future risk of complications while preserving options for future systems or upgrades."

Liz Osborne was one of the first patients in the UK to have the new pacemaker fitted

Liz Osborne, 60, was one of the first patients to have the pacemaker fitted.

The mother-of-two said: "You cannot feel the pacemaker and there is no scar.

"All I have to do now is use a machine to send my rhythm patterns off and they are reviewed remotely, so I don't even have to go to hospital for a check-up."

In the first year of operation, the hospital expected to fit 28 of the new devices.

It said the procedure would "transform lives" and give patients with heart problems "peace of mind".