A HALSTEAD family have praised the NHS for saving their son’s life after his heart rate reached a terrifying 283 beats per minute.

Adam Brundell, 24, had been suffering from the flu when he woke up complaining of a racing heart and feeling dizzy and sick.

A quick 111 call made it clear that Adam needed an ambulance immediately, and a first responder, ambulance and paramedic were at their Parker Way home within 15 minutes. The crew checked Adam’s heart rate, which read at an astounding 283.

Adam then spent eight days in Colchester General Hospital.

His family believe his care could not have been better, even if they had gone private.

Sally Carter, Adam’s mum, said: “Hospitals in general, but particularly Colchester, seem to be getting an awful lot of bad press these days. And it isn’t always deserved, you cannot fault the doctors and nurses who are on the front line every day. You see an awful lot of complaints about the NHS but we could not fault them at all.

“Adam received around the clock care the whole time he was there, and Adam’s father is certain that we would not have received better care even if we went private.”

When Adam was taken to Colchester General Hospital, the resuscitation team was waiting at the doors for him. He had to be put under, and shocked, to bring his heart rate back down, before spending three days in the intensive care unit and then five days in an acute cardiac unit.

On January 23, eight days after going to hospital, Adam took a trip to Basildon Hospital for an MRI scan to make sure no damage had been done to his heart, and was given the all clear.

Sally added: “The whole time we were at Colchester, they were in contact with Basildon, the major heart hospital in the area, to make sure they were doing everything they could for Adam and sending ECGs between the two hospitals.

“We knew straight away on that Sunday something was wrong, but everyone stayed so calm and kept everything under control.

“They really were brilliant at the hospital, as well as the 111 operator and the paramedics, they were monitoring Adam constantly, I don’t think he was actually alone at any point. Me and Adam’s father spoke to all the doctors, and they continuously kept us up to date with what was happening. We could not fault a single person.”

Adam is recovering and has returned to work at Lime House Mills, Witham.

A British Heart Foundation spokesman said Adam’s youth plus the increased metabolic rate caused by tackling the flu may have led to the sky-high heart rate.