A hospital apologised yesterday after a patient overheard medical staff calling him a fat f*** when he went for a scan.

By Emma Brady Good Hope Hospital became the first in the country to be run by a private company in 2003, when the Government awarded health firm Secta a three-year franchise worth pounds 1.3 million.

MERSEYSIDE'S heart hospital has got a new boss. Raj Jain has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Cardiothoracic Centre in Broadgreen. He takes over from Mike Bone, who retired earlier this year.

LIVERPOOL'S Cardiothoracic Centre will enter a new stage in its history next year, with a different name and newchief executive. The centre will be renamed Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, to avoid confusion with Broadgreen Hospital as both are situated on the same site.

THOUSANDS of balloons will be released to launch the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust's biggest fundraising appeal to date.