Portsmouth MP Needs Heart Surgery

Portsmouth Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock has revealed that he will be hospital for several weeks because he needs heart surgery.

He went to his GP recently with unstable angina. Following that he had a planned operation at Queen Alexandra NHS Hospital in Portsmouth to put a stent in under local anaesthetic on Wednesday 20th June but this was not successful and he was advised that he would need more major surgery.

Following that he was advised by doctors to stay in hospital for observation for seven days and it is likely that he will then have to have further major open heart surgery shortly. It is likely that he will be transferred to Southampton hospital for this.

Mike Hancock said:

“I am very grateful to the dedicated work of the doctors and nurses in the NHS.

"I am also very grateful for people’s good wishes and the support of my family and my colleagues in Parliament.

"My offices in Portsmouth and London will continue to be open and staffed and I will be dealing with correspondence etc. in hospital.

"I hope to be back in Parliament as soon as possible.”

Mike Hancock was elected to Parliament for Portsmouth South in a by-election in 1984, standing for the SDP Alliance. He lost in 1987 but regained Portsmouth South in 1997 for the Liberal Democrats and has held the seat since then. He is also a Portsmouth City Councillor.