‘A man who dismissed his heart palpitations and chest pains because he didn’t want to put pressure on the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic has revealed how he was minutes away from death after collapsing with a heart attack.
Fears have emerged that people suffering emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes may be putting their lives at risk during the Covid-19 outbreak by delaying seeking medical help.
Figures from Public Health England show that attendances at A&E units in England have declined by around 50%, raising concerns that people are not seeking the lifesaving care they need.
Experts fear this may lead to thousands of indirect deaths resulting from the coronavirus crisis as people are either anxious not to burden the NHS with symptoms or are too scared of being in a medical setting during the pandemic and being exposed to Covid-19.
Paul Robson, 46, collapsed at home with a heart attack during the coronavirus lockdown and was taken to hospital where doctors told him that if he had got there 30 minutes later, he wouldn’t have survived the ordeal.
He admitted to HuffPost UK that he had ignored heart palpitations for a few weeks before the heart attack as he didn’t want to burden the NHS during the crisis.Paul, who lives in Berkshire, said: “I had been suffering from some heart palpitations for a couple of weeks beforehand, but I foolishly tried to ignore them.
“I didn’t want to bother the NHS at such a time of crisis when coronavirus was all over the news and I thought they wouldn’t be able to cope with anything else.
“I thought my doctor would be inundated with other patients and I didn’t want to add to the pressure.”
Read more: ’30 Minutes Away From Death’: Fear Of Hospital Amid Pandemic Almost Cost This Man His Life
