ENGLAND’S public smoking ban led to 1,200 fewer people being admitted to hospital with heart attacks in its first year, it was revealed today.

The 2.4% reduction in emergency admissions saved the NHS an estimated £8.4 million and may have prevented almost 200 deaths.

Experts believe the findings clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of anti-smoking legislation.

Each year around 141,000 people in the UK suffer a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Around a third die, usually before they reach hospital.

The survival rate in hospital is 85%, so within a group of 1,200 admitted patients, around 180 would be expected to die.

Study leader Dr Anna Gilmore, director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, said: “Given the large number of heart attacks in this country each year, even a relatively small reduction has important public health benefits.

“This study provides further evidence of the benefits of smoke-free legislation.”

She added: “Long term, we would expect to see further reductions in heart attacks, based on what we know about the effects of second hand smoke.”

Smoking in public places and work environments was made illegal in England on July 1, 2007. England’s smoking ban followed others introduced earlier in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Dr Gilmore’s team analysed data on all emergency patients aged 18 and over admitted to hospital in England between July 2002 and September 2008.

A separate report based on the study’s findings found that an estimated £8.4 million had been saved in care costs as a result of the reduced number of heart attack hospitalisations.

Dr Bobbie Jacobson, director of the health care monitoring group London Health Observatory (LHO), which produced the “Heartsavers” report, said: “This is a fantastic outcome and is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of long term health improvements since the introduction of the smoke-free legislation in England.”

Savings across England varied from around £400,000 in the North East to £1.4 million in the South East, said the LHO.

Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Banning smoking in public places was a bold step and now we have evidence showing that was absolutely right.”

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) said: “The smoke-free debate triggered a huge change in public attitudes and behaviour not just in the workplace but also in the home.”