'Blood clot' hospitalises Heath
Former Tory premier Sir Edward Heath is in a London hospital after falling ill during a visit to Austria, his office said.
The ex-MP was flown by air ambulance from Salzburg after suffering a suspected pulmonary embolism - a blood clot on the lung.
A spokeswoman from the Tyrolean Air Ambulance, based in Innsbruck, confirmed that Sir Edward had been flown to London's RAF Northolt airbase after being picked up from Salzburg's main hospital, Landeskrankenhaus.
She said that he travelled with their medical team and his private secretary, but would not comment on his medical condition.
It was rumoured that Sir Edward, 87, was taken to the King Edward VII hospital in central London.
A hospital spokeswoman said she could not comment on individual patients, but that they had been told to refer any calls regarding Sir Edward to his private secretary.
King Edward VII was originally opened to care for sick and wounded officers returning from the Boer War. It is a private independent acute hospital which still cares for serving and retired officer patients as well as others.
Although the seriousness of his condition is unknown, it is understood Sir Edward was well enough to give instructions to his staff.
Pulmonary embolism is a condition commonly associated with so-called "economy class syndrome" or deep vein thrombosis.
The sometimes deadly clots, usually originating in the veins of the leg in the form of DVT, can break free and travel up the body. There they become lodged in one of the vessels which supplies the lungs, leading to the embolism.
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