Downing Street has said Tony Blair is "fine" after he suffered another health scare. Doctors were called to the prime minister's official residence after he complained of stomach pains on Wednesday evening.
It was feared that the 50-year-old, who suffered a heart scare just last month, might need hospital treatment. When the GP decided appendicitis could not be ruled out, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital was put on alert and a consultant surgeon was rushed to Downing Street, cutting through London traffic on a motorcycle.
The politician appeared to recover, however, and it was decided no further treatment would be necessary. Doctors returned to perform a second examination as a precautionary measure the following day, however.
"He wasn't feeling great and so he saw doctors and the problem appeared to pass quickly," said a spokesman. "He is perfectly fine and getting on with his job."
While the Labour leader has been given the all-clear, the incident will fuel concerns about his health. In last month's scare, he was rushed to Hammersmith hospital after complaining of chest pains at his Chequers residence.
Doctors diagnosed supra ventricular tachycardia, a condition that causes heartbeat irregularities, and performed a "cardio version" procedure to make his heartbeat return to normal. Fears for his well-being were further fuelled when former US President Bill Clinton said his heart problems were a long-running condition, contradicting the official line that the scare was a one-off.
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