A Cardiff resident has credited a charity-funded cardiac scan with saving his life after it revealed he had unknowingly suffered a heart attack and required urgent medical intervention, according to BBC News – UK.
Simon Morris, aged 55, decided to pay £300 for a heart screening offered by Welsh charity Calon Hearts UK after his daughter received free screening from the same organisation. At the time, he had no concerns about his cardiovascular health.
“I was 55, I’d never had such a scan before, so I thought, why not… just get it done and out of the way,” Morris told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. “It turns out it was the best £300 I’ve ever spent.”
The screening led to immediate medical advice to attend hospital, where tests confirmed Morris needed an angioplasty – a procedure to reopen narrowed or blocked arteries that supply blood to the heart. Further investigations revealed he had experienced what medical professionals call a “silent” heart attack, which presents no obvious symptoms.
Warning signs missed
Looking back, Morris recognised he had experienced warning signs but had misinterpreted them. “When I was going for big walks with my daughter and my son there were pains in the chest area which I just attributed to stomach issues,” he explained. “But now… I look back and go, ‘what an idiot. You should have done something about that then. That was your chance, you missed it’.”
Silent heart attacks are more common than many people realise. The NHS estimates they account for approximately one third of all heart attacks. These events are often only diagnosed weeks, months or even years later during routine medical checks or because of ongoing symptoms such as chest pain or breathlessness.
Following cardiac rehabilitation, Morris has returned to an active lifestyle and climbed Yr Wyddfa – also known as Snowdon – to raise £10,000 for Calon Hearts UK, the charity that provided his scan.
Heart attack symptoms
The NHS advises calling 999 immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: chest pain that feels like crushing or squeezing, which may spread to your arm, neck and jaw; a burning feeling in your chest similar to indigestion, accompanied by feeling full or bloated; or pale, blue or grey skin, which on black or brown skin may be most visible on the palms of hands.
Calon Hearts UK provides CPR training and free screening for people aged between 15 and a half and 26, as well as part-funded tests for older individuals.
What this means for Poles in the UK
Poles living in the UK are entitled to full NHS care, including emergency cardiac treatment. If you experience chest pain or other heart attack symptoms, call 999 immediately – treatment is free and you do not need to show any documentation in an emergency.
However, routine cardiac screening is not automatically offered by the NHS unless you have specific risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, family history of heart disease, or are aged over 40. If you have concerns about your heart health, register with a GP surgery and request an NHS Health Check, which is free for people aged 40 to 74 in England.
Private cardiac screening, similar to what Morris received, typically costs between £200 and £500 at clinics across the UK. Some charities offer reduced-cost or free screening to specific age groups. If you experience unexplained chest discomfort during physical activity, do not dismiss it – book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible, as early intervention can be life-saving.
