A Kent mother is sharing her harrowing story after a disagreement with an NHS 111 call handler nearly cost her her life, leading to two cardiac arrests and a critical fight for survival in hospital.
Michelle Ward, 54, initially called the non-emergency service suffering from severe chest pains and breathing difficulties. Despite her clear distress, the call handler allegedly dismissed her symptoms as a panic attack and advised her to take paracetamol and try to sleep.
'I knew it was something serious,' Michelle recounted. 'I argued with the call handler because I felt I wasn't being listened to. I was terrified.'
Her instincts were tragically correct. Just hours later, Michelle suffered a massive heart attack at her home. Her husband, Ian, desperately performed CPR until paramedics arrived and rushed her to hospital.
Her ordeal was far from over. Michelle's heart stopped a second time in the ambulance. Thanks to the swift actions of the emergency crew, she was resuscitated again and underwent immediate emergency surgery.
'The doctors told me I had a 100% blockage in my main artery,' she explained. 'They said it was a miracle I survived. If my husband hadn't been there to perform CPR, I wouldn't be here.'
Now on the long road to recovery, Michelle is speaking out to warn others about the potential dangers of medical symptoms being dismissed over the phone. She believes her life was put at risk by a catastrophic failure in the initial assessment.
'The 111 service needs to change,' she urges. 'They must take people's concerns more seriously. I argued for my life that night, and I want to make sure no one else has to go through what I did.'
Her story serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of listening to patients and the life-or-death consequences that can stem from a misjudged call.
