What began as what felt like mild chest pain quickly turned into a race against time for one Maidstone man who has since been reunited with the emergency team who helped treat him following a heart attack.

Brian Gard aged 76 was at home with his wife, Heather, on 10 January 2026 when he began experiencing chest pain he initially thought was angina which is a condition caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, often felt as tightness or pressure in the chest and sometimes mistaken for indigestion.

As Heather kept a close eye on him, she noticed Brian had become pale, grey and clammy – clear signs something more serious could be happening.

Acting quickly, she called 999 and was connected to Emergency Medical Advisor, Jessica Coombs at the Gillingham Emergency Operations Centre. After triaging Brian’s symptoms, Jessica categorised the incident as a Category 2 emergency, ensuring the right level of urgent response.

Before help arrived, Brian had taken three doses of Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), a medication used to relieve angina by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow to the heart, as well as aspirin.

Crewmates Katie Cripps and Robert Hammond were dispatched to the address and quickly carried out an electrocardiogram (ECG). The results showed heightened elevation in Brian’s heart activity, indicating he was having a heart attack.

Katie said “Every moment counts in situations like this. Seeing Brian back to full health is an incredible feeling and it’s why we do what we do.”

The crew immediately contacted the specialist PPCI centre at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where clinicians approved Brian for direct admission. He was taken to hospital on blue lights and had emergency surgery on arrival to fit a stent to open a blocked artery which had caused the heart attack.

Brian’s wife, Heather, was so amazed by the service, she wrote into the Trust’s compliments team to share her feedback.

Heather emailed in her feedback saying “We would like to thank both Katie and Rob for their speedy actions supporting my husband. They did various tests due to a suspected angina attack. My husband was not only having angina, he was having a heart attack. I do hope you get this feedback as we were so amazed of the service that was given and how they were very attentive.”

Just ten weeks later, Brian, now fully recovered, was invited to visit Paddock Wood Make Ready Centre with wife Heather to reunite with Katie and Robert and to meet Jessica for the very first time after emailing in to thank the team.

Brian said “We cannot thank them all enough for the medical care they provided. They are a credit to the NHS.”

Jessica said “It was really moving to meet Brian and see how well he’s doing now. It reminds you that every call matters and that quick decisions can make all the difference.”

Robert added “From the moment we arrived, we knew Brian needed urgent care. Everything moved quickly, from the ECG to arranging specialist treatment. Seeing him again, happy and healthy, is what makes this job so rewarding. It’s something we’ll all remember.”