As the University Hospital of North Staffordshire celebrates the official opening of its heart attack centre and acute stroke unit, Hayley Harp speaks to patients who have had experiences in the new and old facilities

RAILWAY enthusiast Bernie Littler was behind the controls of a train when his heart attack struck on Saturday.

But his story isn't one of disaster.

The 54-year-old, from Blythe Bridge, quickly handed the job to a colleague and was yesterday awaiting discharge from hospital.

Although Bernie won't be able to drive for a month, and away from the controls of a train for a further two months, he believes getting on the track to recovery has been helped along by the hospital's new facilities.

Bernie said: "The treatment has been superb, I can't believe so many people are dedicated to looking after you."

The heart attack centre at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire whisks patients into a special laboratory for treatment within 10 minutes of their arrival and in Bernie's case, he was fitted with a stent, used to open narrowed arteries.

Bernie had suffered with chest pains for three weeks leading up to the Easter weekend and was admitted to the accident and emergency department with a suspected angina attack on Easter Saturday.

He was sent home 12 hours later after tests and was given a spray by his GP to take in case of chest pain. The service engineer was driving the evening dining train on Churnet Valley Railway when he began suffering on Saturday, but managed to drive home before his condition got worse and he was taken to hospital.

He said: "To me, it felt like I was having a heart attack for around three hours. The way I feel now compared to how I felt on Sunday morning is completely different.

"The staff cheered me up in no time and everyone was fantastic."

Making a return visit to the hospital yesterday were former stroke patients.

Brian Martin, of Hawthorn Place, Meir, was admitted after suffering a minor stroke in April last year. He had been drinking a cup of tea when his speech started to be affected and he realised he couldn't move his left arm or leg.

Brian, aged 49, below left, was seen immediately in the accident and emergency department by a stroke team and given treatment to break down the blood clot.

He said: "I could still be slightly paralysed now if I hadn't been given the drugs as quickly as I was. I stayed in hospital for three days and had to have further appointments with the nurses, but my life was back to normal in six to eight weeks.

"My whole experience at the unit was a great one . What is going on here is wonderful."

Another former patient, Nigel Roberts, was so impressed with his treatment in January 2006 that he is still in touch with the stroke team and goes along to meetings as an expert patient. Nigel, of Church Road, Hixon, near Stafford, was at work as a director for an electrical equipment company when he suffered a stroke.

And he compares being taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire to winning the lottery.

The 46-year-old, below right, who was given thrombolysis treatment similar to Brian, said: "People talk about winning the lottery, but for me, I won the day I was taken here.

"The treatment I was given was still in a trial stage but they gave it to me instead of a placebo because I was young.

"My treatment was fantastic and from what I have learnt since, it was the perfect example of best practice. At the time, 0.4 per cent of patients nationally got treated like I did so I was one of the successes."

Nigel spent two weeks in rehabilitation at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and then a week at Bucknall Hospital before being allowed home.

Within three months, he was back at work in Rugeley.

He added: "When you are having a stroke you wonder whether you are going to live or die, but my life today is not a great deal different from what it used to be like."