A COLCHESTER councillor who was fitted with a heart monitor after he collapsed at home has called for more investment in the NHS after reporting “dying for a millisecond” changed his life.

Mike Lilley, who represents Old Heath and the Hythe on Colchester Council, said he “got to see for himself” how staff at the city’s hospital work.

He said he was watching television at home one Saturday last month, but when he got up to use the toilet he collapsed to the floor.

“I landed on my side and after being dazed for a second I got up, sat down and tried to figure what happened,” he said.

“After a few hours I felt quite unwell and got a lift to the hospital.

“I was seen straight away in A&E, my blood pressure and details were taken, I had a wait of five minutes and I was off to a small unit where I was hooked up to a heart monitor and had blood taken.”

Medics told Mr Lilley his heart was missing a beat in its rhythm.

Mr Lilley said when the doctor saw he was taking anti-depressant fluoxetine, he was told to stop taking the drug.

“He knew the side-effects had caused my heart and vessels to close up, restricting blood and oxygen,” he said.

“He told me to stop taking that straight away, as he knew the side effects caused my heart and vessels to close up, restricting blood and oxygen.

“He was going to put me on a magnesium drip and admit me into a ward on observation, he prescribed a drug to help my heart beat better.”

After he was put in a drip, he was told the hospital was short of beds in the cardiac ward, but when one became available he would be moved.

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He said during his treatment at the A&E department he noticed “the place was very busy”.

“The staff were always rushing around answering calls from people shouting at them,” he said.

“A while later they said would I mind staying here, as no ward place was available, I said yes.

“They got me some soup and a tea.”

He said he endured a difficult night’s sleep as other patients shouting and screaming, with staff explaining the noises were caused by people with “severe” mental health problems.

Mr Lilley said he was moved to a cardiac ward the next day, where staff were “brilliant”, while dealing with difficult conditions.

He said: “Three patients here had dementia and need a lot of care.

“The staff were brilliant, never complained and just got on with it.

“The treatment I received was a life changer, I have never felt that much better in such a short time just by having a doctor who knew what to do.

“I’d spent ten years on asthma inhalers suffering short of breath, taking strong steroids to make me breathe again, but all the time, I had a bad rhythm to my heart and taking a drug for 12 years causing my problem.

“Dying for a milli-second changed my life, after two days in the hospital I unhooked myself and went for a walk.

“I didn't need an inhaler and was able to breathe.

“A week later I was fitted with a heart monitor. It’s connected by a gadget to a computer in the hospital and any strange goings on are acted upon.”

He added: “What a wonderful NHS we have, it saves lives, but we are killing it by the way it’s run.

“The staff work without complaining but they are being dragged down.”

Mr Lilley called for NHS staff to be “paid a proper wage”.

“Let’s sort the wards out to help our staff,” he said.

“Senior politicians must look at mental health in particular.

“We had Severalls [Hospital], Turner Village – all places that looked after patients with mental health issues, all were knocked down.”

Dr Angela Tillett is chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital.

She said: “We are grateful to councillor Lilley for his feedback.

“We are pleased to hear he received good care during his recent inpatient stay and that he’s made a speedy recovery.

“We would encourage him to contact our patient advice and liaison service (PALS) team so we can learn more from his experience.

“We always appreciate hearing from patients about the care they have received in our hospitals.”