"No ECG machine at the doctors"

I was on holiday in Skegness and when I woke I had got chest pain so I contacted Beacon Park medical centre and was given an appointment to see a GP at the Ingoldmells Beacon centre.

Myself and my wife got into a taxi and on seeing the doctor and being examined, they thought I had pulled my chest. I asked if they had a ECG to check my heart and was told they only had one at the Skegness surgery which was closed on Tuesdays. I thought it would be important to have a ECG machine in Igoldmells with the number of holidaymakers in the summer.

The doctor's opinion was that we should return to Rotherham and if it had not improved to see my own doctor, they said if I was not happy with the diagnosis I could go to the local A&E.

The taxi driver said he would take us straight there as he had seen quite a lot of heart attacks amongst holidaymakers and he would be happier to take us to A&E than drive back to Rotherham and maybe collapse on the way and cause an accident.

I went to A&E and within 10 minutes of having an ECG I was on my way to the catheter lab at Lincoln County Hospital, which as you can understand is not a 5 minute journey on the motorway.

On reaching Lincoln County Hospital my treatment could not have been better and I was discharged a week later. I would like to thank Skegness hospital and Lincoln, after my decision to attend A&E after an hour's wasted journey to the doctor.