A postman has told how he 'died three times' after suffering a cardiac arrest at work, but survived thanks to a colleague who found him unconscious. Carl Lockwood, a Royal Mail employee from Leeds, was discovered passed out by a workmate who managed to keep him going until emergency services arrived. His heart stopped three times in total, but he was resuscitated each time and is now back at work.
Unexpected cardiac arrest
Carl, who was a fit postie and enjoyed ultra running and hill walking, said the cardiac arrest in 2019 was unexpected. He had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder, which was managed with medication and a stent. Despite being on his feet all day and exercising regularly, his heart stopped. 'I've always been your typical postie – on my feet all day, loving exercise and getting out and about – ultra running, hill walking, the lot. That was why my cardiac arrest was so unexpected,' he said.
New heart health programme
Carl is sharing his story after the launch of a new nationwide heart health check programme by Pharmacy2U, the UK's largest online pharmacy. The initiative aims to test up to 100,000 workers for risk indicators of cardiovascular disease. It targets the 62% of English adults who were not reached through the NHS Health Check programme last year, where cholesterol issues are usually spotted.
Royal Mail is one of the first companies to join the Healthy Heart Programme, offering self-test digital cholesterol check kits to all employees. The kits can be completed in ten minutes at home, at a desk, or on the move. Carl, who now drives vans for parcel delivery instead of walking, praised the initiative: 'What Pharmacy2U is doing is brilliant. It's so important that people get the chance to check in on their heart health, as it really can happen to anyone.'
Workplace wellbeing
Fiona McAslan, head of wellbeing at Royal Mail, said: 'Our people are the heart of our business, and we're grateful for the opportunity to remove barriers that might be stopping people from prioritising their health. Workplace wellbeing is becoming increasingly important to our industry.' Kevin Heath, CEO of Pharmacy2U, added: 'When life gets busy, health checks are often the first thing to fall to the bottom of the to-do list. Bringing cardiovascular testing into the workplace makes it easier for people to access checks without taking extra time out of their day.' He noted that the government's 10-Year Plan wants the NHS to focus on prevention delivered digitally by the primary care sector, which initiatives like this aim to achieve.
