Former professional football player Paul Stewart faced a distressing delay in receiving medical care from the NHS despite experiencing severe heart discomfort. The 61-year-old, known for his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and Liverpool, visited Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s A&E department in his own vehicle. He was previously diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation (AF) and awaits further surgery following two prior procedures to manage the condition.
Atrial fibrillation causes irregular heartbeats and is generally not immediately life-threatening. However, Paul, now an advocate for safeguarding, feared he had suffered a heart attack due to the intensity of his chest pains. His account of the ordeal follows a report by Age UK, highlighted by the Mirror, exposing extended wait times in A&E departments nationwide.
Recalling his experience, Paul mentioned, “I arrived at A&E around 8 am and was admitted for cardiac care but faced prolonged delays. Despite my rising heart rate, there was no medical attention available.” The excruciating chest pain led him to believe he was having a heart attack, eventually prompting him to leave when the cardiac team was unavailable.
Noting his heart rate had spiked to 156 beats per minute during his hospital stay, Paul returned the next day at 7 am, enduring hours of waiting before receiving medication on the second evening. The prescribed treatment aims to control his heart rate until the pending operation, which involves using electric shocks to restore normal heart rhythm.
In addition to his health challenges, Paul has dedicated efforts to safeguarding young athletes from abuse, earning him the prestigious Sir Bobby Charlton award from the Football Association. He is set to receive the honor ahead of England’s match against Serbia in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley on Nov 13. Paul, a father of three, began advocating for young footballers after disclosing his own traumatic experiences with his late coach Frank Roper in 2016.
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, refrained from commenting on individual care but urged those with concerns about their treatment to contact the institution’s patient relations team.