Heart victim's life-saving call (From Gazette & Herald)

Heart victim's life-saving call

A RETIRED Ryedale man has sung the praises of NHS Direct after a quick-thinking nurse helped save his life.

Ian Wright, of Rockingham Close, Malton, woke one morning with severe chest pains, which he mistook for a bad bout of indigestion. His wife, Barbara, called the medical helpline for advice and after hearing the symptoms nurse Linda Fletcher immediately requested an ambulance.

Doctors at the accident and emergency department at York Hospital confirmed Mr Wright had suffered a heart attack.

NHS Direct-Tees, East and North Yorkshire, based at Shipton Road, York, receives about 25,000 calls a month most needing no further intervention, but good advice from the nurse on home care.

A national report released yesterday by health watchdog the Commission for Health Improvement gave top marks to the helpline, saying it "provides good quality advice and reassurance" and is staffed by nurses who "are professional and compassionate when providing basic healthcare advice".

Health Secretary John Reid praised NHS Direct following the results of the report and said it was "one of the most popular health service reforms of the past few years".

He said: "Each week three per cent of people who ring NHS Direct do not recognise the severity of their symptoms and are transferred to the 999 ambulance service. In many cases this will have saved lives."

Mr Wright, 61, who has travelled the world in his former role with Land Rover, said: "I couldn't have asked for a better service. Right from my wife calling NHS Direct to the paramedics team, to the accident and emergency staff, medical admissions staff and the people on the coronary ward. Everyone was so helpful. I've heard many negative things about the NHS, but I have nothing but praise for them."

The couple, who celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary yesterday, have a healthy lifestyle and regularly take long walks in the North Yorkshire countryside.

Since the heart attack, which happened earlier in the year, Mr Wright has completed a five-and-a-half mile sponsored walk from Coxwold to raise cash for the British Heart Society.

Updated: 11:09 Tuesday, November 11, 2003