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Tony Blair Admitted to Hospital

Our Lady of The Two Towers

20:10 / 19.10.03

The prime minister was admitted to hospital at lunchtime on Sunday suffering from an irregular heart beat.

It was considered that a heart attack (which this wasn't) meant the end of Michael Heseltine's ambitions for leadership of the Conservative party in the 90s. Then John Smith died, paving the way for Tony Blair to take over.

Is this episode going to have an effect on Blair's future?

20:27 / 19.10.03

Can't see how it can fail to. Seems to have been in previous rude health and given to no bad (heart damaging) habits except living with the enormous stress of his job. Carrying on as before would invite more of the same and I can't see that he'll get other advice.

No fags, booze, junk food or couch potato inclinations to give up so he must surely be looking to lighten the load of stress. His style of government, described euphemistically as "presidential", is by all accounts not of the delegating, just let the cabinet get on with it style.

Ill health is also a fairly conventional excuse for going, imputing no dishonour and well founded in Prime Minsiterial history.

Of course, Gordon Brown has just gone off on paternity leave. Maybe John Prescott could run the country for a while, giving TB a chance to put his feet up. If he gets stuck, he just needs to ask Bush what to do next.

22:03 / 19.10.03

Maybe I'm buying some crazy propoganda, but this doesn't sound too serious to me.

WHAT IS SUPRAVENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA?
In SVT, the heart beats much faster than normal
People feel palpitations - a "fluttering" of the heart - during an attack
It is a relatively common condition
SVT is uncomfortable but usually benign
Attacks - which can occur as one-offs - are treated with drugs or electric shock therapy to stabilise the heart
The condition is usually linked to an underlying electrical irregularity in the heart
Attacks may be triggered by stress, having too much caffeine, having suffered a cold or flu
But an attack may also occur when there is no obvious trigger

I can't imagine Blair giving up his governing style over this. Especially now, when the labor party shows signs of division, Blair is likely to see his role as a strong leader of the British people as very important to the British people. I would be surprised if he still thought about this incident a month from now, unless he happens to have an exceptional case of the condition. I rate this only slightly more significant than Bush's fight with the pretzel.