DOCTORS at the Marlborough practice in George Lane have been given a £3,000 replacement Heart Start machine by Savernake Hospital League of Friends.

The defibrillator was handed to Dr David Maurice by league president Raymond White.

It defibrillator will be kept at the surgery during the day but will be carried by the duty doctor during on-call hours.

Practice manager Michael Reynolds thanked the league and said the on-going costs of maintaining the machine would be met by the practice.

League chairman Sally Cripps said they were pleased to fund the project and support one of the GP practices which looks after patients in the Savernake Hospital area.

Mrs Cripps said the league committee would welcome grant applications from other practices in the hospital area towards the cost of buying vital equipment like the defibrillator.