The honour was bestowed on October 14 by Medtronic, a global supplier of leadless pacemakers, recognising the hospital's expertise in both performing the procedure and training other NHS teams across the UK. Northampton Heart Centre is now among a select group of hospitals in Europe with this designation.
Leadless pacemakers are significantly smaller and lighter than traditional devices, being 93% smaller and weighing less than 2 grams. They are implanted directly inside the heart's right ventricle, making them undetectable externally.
Dr David Sharman, Consultant Cardiologist at NGH, who implanted the hospital's first device in 2016, highlighted the advantages of leadless pacemakers, including a 50% reduction in complications compared to conventional pacemakers and a lifespan of up to 17 years. He also emphasised the importance of comprehensive training for specialist nurses, cardiac physiologists, and radiographers.
Since 2016, NGH has fitted approximately 300 patients with leadless pacemakers and has trained NHS staff nationwide on establishing the procedure. In 2024, the Trust became the first in the UK to use the latest Medtronic Micra™AV2 model.
Nicolas Pivert, Medtronic’s Vice President of Pacing Therapies, presented the hospital with a plaque on October 14, stating: "The Heart Centre at Northampton General Hospital has been a pioneer in the UK for delivering leadless pacemakers to its patients and for training NHS teams from across the country in how to do this well."
