A SUCCESSFUL businessman has been left feeling ‘fitter than he has for years’ thanks to the support he received after suffering an unexpected heart attack.

David Wilkinson, one of the founding directors of AO.com, became ill in his home after feeling unwell using an exercise bike.

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At first the 65-year-old from Edgworth said didn’t realise anything was wrong, but after speaking to a friend who was a doctor, he decided to ring for an ambulance as a precaution.

He was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital for tests and after the staff confirmed he had suffered a heart attack he was taken to the specialist centre at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Mr Wilkinson said: “It was only once I was being rushed to Blackpool by ambulance that I realised what a serious position I was in.

“I had not felt like I had displayed any of the classic symptoms of a heart attack, but here I was being rushed to a specialist hospital.”

After being discharged he was well enough to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Peterborough.

Mr Wilkinson continued to receive support from his GP and rehabilitation teams in Blackburn during his recovery.

After being referred to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team based at Darwen Leisure Centre, Mr Wilkinson was offered support to aid his recovery.

He said the treatment he received at the centre, funded by Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group and involved high intensity interval training and resistance training, left him feeling fitter than he had in years.

He said: “Having an unexpected heart attack made me very nervous, but with the help of Mark Campbell and his team, it has given me so much confidence and have been absolutely brilliant.

“I can honestly say that, six months down the line from my heart attack, I feel fitter now than I have felt for five years.”

Mr Wilkinson had always lived a healthy lifestyle and has been an active middle cross country runner, a player in the Bolton Squash Leagues and also played football in the Lancashire Amateur Leagues.

Following his ordeal six months ago, he has now encouraged others not to hesitate in getting checked out if they notice anything wrong at all.

He said: “I would say that people should never ignore symptoms that are slightly out of the ordinary.

“I shudder to think what would have happened to me had I not spoken to my friend on the day my heart attack happened.”

Dr John Randall, executive GP at Blackburn with Darwen CCG said Mr Wilkinson’s recovery was a great example of the services on offer.

He said: “I am delighted that Mr Wilkinson is recovering this is exactly what this service is designed to do.”

“Helping patients to get back on their feet after such a serious event as a heart attack is really important and it is great that the team of fully trained professional can do this outside of the hospital setting.

“This case shows how important it is to attend health checks when they are offered by your local GP as they will help to identify unknown health problems so they can be treated.”