Survivor of a cardiac arrest is reunited with the emergency ambulance crew who helped to save his life and cardiologist who supported his recovery.
Seventy-three-year-old George Newman, from Sunderland, began to feel ill with chest and arm pains on Saturday 2 November, after enjoying an evening firework display with his family.
His wife, Brenda, became concerned and called 999 to get support from North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).
On one of her first ever dispatch shifts for the service, twenty-three-year-old ambulance dispatcher at NEAS, Ellen Renwick, was responsible for sending an ambulance crew to George’s home.
She said, “Patients like George stand out because we know we need to focus on dispatching the right crews to deliver the best and quickest care possible.”
On arrival of the ambulance, George deteriorated and went into cardiac arrest.
The crew arriving on scene informed dispatch that George was experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and they dispatched additional resources including a specialist paramedic and an additional crew to support.
A cardiac arrest can strike anybody at any time and every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by ten percent.
On arrival, paramedic Stuart Tait and his crewmate Ian Cawood, began chest compressions and applied the defibrillator. Once his heartbeat was in a shockable rhythm, they administered five shocks.
Stuart recalls the incident, “I remember Ian and I being tasked to a category two incident for George - he was suffering chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath and nausea. As we made our way to his home, the job was upgraded as his symptoms worsened.
“We arrived just in time.
“On arrival, we could see that George was experiencing a cardiac arrest. George’s wife was there with him – she was relatively calm, though shocked. Their grandson was also downstairs. We reassured George’s wife, explaining each step when we could.
“After shocking George, we were pleased when he had a successful return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), regaining a pulse.”
George regained consciousness thanks to the efforts of his family, the call handling team, and ambulance crew.
The crew conveyed George to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where he had an emergency stent fitted and was passed to the coronary care unit. He stayed in hospital for one week.
He was then referred to South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust's Cardiac Rehabilitation Team following his care at the Freeman Hospital.
The team works with a patient to help them continue their recovery with exercise and offer information, education and support to live well. They also help family members learn how to do CPR.
The Trust's dedicated health psychologist has also worked with Mr Newman to help support his mental health and wellbeing.
Dr Mickey Jachuck is Clinical Director of Cardiothoracic care at the Trust.
He said: "What happened to George shows the importance of knowing CPR skills, as well as the vital care our NHS services offer.
"Our cardiac rehabilitation team do a fantastic job of helping people following heart attacks and heart failure as they rebuild their strength. We know Dr Norton has also been supporting him through his recovery.
"We wish him well and we know through his story and his family's experiences, others will know how important it is to act when someone has a cardiac arrest”
Dr Michael Norton is both a consultant community cardiologist for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust as well as deputy medical director at NEAS.
He added. “In my 35 years of being involved in managing cardiac arrests, it has become clear that the people who have the biggest impact in cardiac arrest are those who are first on-scene -especially if they witness the cardiac arrest.
“In this case, Mrs. Newman and other members of Mr. Newman’s family were amazing. They acted quickly and they acted decisively. By rapidly starting CPR, they gave our NEAS colleagues the very best chance of restarting Mr. Newman’s heart.
“To me, Mrs. Newman and her grandsons are heroes.”
Dr Michael Norton added, “Swiftly following, the NEAS team involved made a very significant and positive impact on in Mr. Newman’s outcome.”
George reflected, “Since the incident, I now value each day as a bonus that I wouldn't have had if it wasn't for the crew.
“It has made me want to do as much as I can with the bonus time I have been given.
“I wanted to meet the crew because I think they deserve medals and I wanted to take the time to say thank you to them, from not only myself but my family too.”
When a cardiac arrest strikes, chest compressions provided during CPR pump blood around the body to keep someone alive until the ambulance crew arrives. Without immediate treatment with CPR and a defibrillator, if there is one nearby, the person’s chance of survival reduces every minute.
Dr Michael Norton concludes, “In terms of advice relating to cardiac arrest, I would advise everyone to be aware of the differences between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest.
“Be prepared. Take a CPR class. If a person is unconscious and not breathing (or not breathing normally): start CPR, dial 999 immediately, follow the advice given by the call handler.
“Even if you have no formal CPR/defibrillator training, your hands can save a life. It is much better to start CPR as soon as possible. Seconds make a difference.”
It only takes a few minutes to learn CPR. To find out more, visit https://
To learn the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack, visit: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/heart-attack-and-cardiac-arrest
More details about the Cardiology care offered by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust can be found via its Cardiology page: https://