Blair home from hospital op
Tony Blair has returned to 10 Downing Street after a successful heart operation.
Mr Blair was admitted to Hammersmith Hospital for what he has described as a “routine” procedure this morning after being diagnosed with the heart condition supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT, in October last year.
The 51-year-old is believed to have received non-surgical treatment under local anesthetic and is expected back at work on Monday.
Yesterday evening, only hours before his operation, Mr Blair announced plans to serve a full third term of office, should Labour win at the next election.
Speaking earlier, the Chancellor Gordon Brown has revealed that Tony Blair’s heart operation has gone well. Speaking from Washington, Mr Brown broke the silence on the prime minister’s treatment for his heart condition, stating that the operation went “very successfully”.
Downing Street followed Mr Brown’s comments with an official statement that reaffirmed that the operation had been a success and that no recurrence of the problem in the future is anticipated.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott will take charge of the Government in Mr Blair’s absence.
