26 May 2011
A man who called 999 for an ambulance after realising he
was suffering stroke has spoken of his experience at a special
public event.
André Bell, then 53, was driving to work
through Beckenham one Sunday last May, when he had to stop the car
as he was feeling so dizzy.
He called his employer, realised he was
slurring his speech and called 999 for an ambulance.
Ambulance staff diagnosed André as potentially
suffering from a stroke, and took him directly to a specialist
centre at King’s College Hospital, rather than the local A&E
department. He received life-saving treatment and three days later
he was discharged back to his home in Norwood.
André said: “I knew enough about strokes from
the TV adverts to realise that this could be happening to me. I
can’t thank the ambulance and hospital staff enough, without them
who knows where’d I’d be now?”
André was talking at a London Ambulance
Service public event about emergency
stroke care in the capital. The meeting was held on the
29th floor of Guy’s Tower, Southwark, in the impressive
Roben Suite.
Paramedic Jo Martin, one of the ambulance crew
that treated him, and Emergency Medical Dispatcher Graham Mears,
who took the 999 call, also talked about their part in Andre’s
care.
Senior ambulance clinicians Fionna Moore and
Neil Thomson spoke about how the London Ambulance Service has
improved stroke care in the capital by taking patients directly to
specialist stroke centres where they get access to expert care 24
hours a day.
Director of Health Promotion and Quality Steve
Lennox spoke about the wider issue of how the ambulance service is
looking to improve Londoners’ general health and lifestyle
choices.
Assistant Director of Corporate Services
Carmel Dodson-Brown said: “We hope this event gave Londoners an
opportunity to find out more about the positive work we’re doing
with emergency stroke care in the capital, and to get involved with
the Service.
“This is one of a series of free public events
we’re holding. Future events will focus on major trauma, infection
control and other aspects of the care we provide to patients.”
To find out more about how to get involved with the Service, and
to sign up to our free newsletter, please call 0800 7311 388 or
become
a member.
- Ends -
Notes to editors:
- For further information about this news release or the London
Ambulance Service please contact the Communications Department on
020 7921 5113.