Stunell says, 'doubt kills'

8.37.36am GMT Thu 18th Jan 2007

Today, Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell backed the British Heart Foundation 'Doubt Kills' campaign to raise awareness of the warning signs of a heart attack. He urged local residents not to delay calling 999 if they experience chest pain.

Commenting at the campaign launch, Mr Stunell said:

"Only 7% of the general public in the North West have the skills to save a life. This important campaign could save many lives in Stockport.

"Local people should also be armed with the skills to save a life should they be with someone when the worst happens - which is why I am urging local residents to sign up for a free Heartstart UK course."

"We often hear stories about when people should not call 999, but it is crucial that people are also told when they should call 999. Chest pain is one such occasion, because it could be a heart attack - and nobody is going to be upset with you if it turns out to be a false alarm."

Katharine Peel, Head of Emergency Life Support at the BHF, said:

"We're really grateful for Andrew Stunell's support. Coronary heart disease is the UK's single biggest killer, with someone suffering a heart attack every two minutes, so this is a problem none of us can afford to ignore." ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. For more information, and to find a course in Stockport, visit bhf.org.uk/heartstart or email heartstart@bhf.org.uk. If you do not have email or internet access, call 020 7487 7115.

2. For more information please contact the BHF press office on 020 7487 7172 or 07764 290381 (out of hours) or email newsdesk@bhf.org.uk.

3. Heartstart UK is an initiative co-ordinated by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to teach members of the public what to do in a life-threatening emergency; simple skills that save lives. In the ten years the initiative has been running, more than 1 million people have been trained through schemes in the community and in schools.

The common or classic symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Central chest pain.

• The pain can spread to the arms, neck or jaw.

• Some people can feel sick or sweaty as well as having central chest pain.

• Some people can feel short of breath as well as having central chest pain.

While women can experience the classic symptoms they often experience less common heart attack symptoms than men, such as:

• A dull pain, ache, or 'heavy' feeling in the chest.

• A mild discomfort in the chest that makes you feel generally unwell.

• The pain in the chest can spread to the back or stomach.

• Some people say that the chest pain feels like a bad episode of indigestion.

• Some people can feel a bit light-headed or dizzy as well as having chest pain.