‘Desperate’ Navy veteran felt like a ‘ticking time bomb’ before using pension to pay for heart surgery

26 February 2025, 06:30

By EJ Ward

A Royal Navy veteran who paid over £25,000 for heart surgery to avoid NHS delays is supporting a British Heart Foundation (BHF) campaign to fix an “unprecedented crisis” in cardiovascular care.

Writing for LBC Opinion, ex-weapons engineer Neil Wogan, 52, from Wigan, revealed he first went to his GP in May 2023 after experiencing a tight pressure in his chest.

He had an ECG within a few weeks, but he had to wait four months to see a cardiologist to understand the results.

Before that appointment came, Neil’s symptoms worsened, and by July 2023, he was in such pain that he went to A&E, where he was admitted to hospital for nearly a week.

• Read Neil's exclusive LBC Opinion here.

Neil, who now works as a Police Community Support Officer, was diagnosed with heart valve disease and told he urgently needed open heart surgery to replace his failing aortic valve.

However, due to the size of the NHS heart care waiting list, he was warned he would be lucky to get the operation before Christmas — a further four-month wait.

Read more: NHS on 'road to recovery', claims PM as he meets pledge to deliver two million extra appointments

Read more: Health Secretary signals support for more private investment to fix the NHS

Now, as the BHF and over 40 leading organisations call on the Government to implement a National Cardiovascular Disease Plan, Neil is speaking out about his experience.

Latest figures show the cardiovascular care waiting list in England is at a near-record high of over 420,000. Around 40% of those waiting for time-sensitive heart care are waiting longer than the 18-week target treatment time, and approximately 9,000 people have been waiting for more than a year.

Faced with the uncertainty of an NHS delay, Neil opted to have his operation privately, withdrawing money from his pension fund. His surgery was scheduled for mid-September, just a few weeks later.

Neil told LBC: “Before the surgery, I felt like a ticking time bomb, and that at any moment, my heart could fail. Every night I went to sleep thinking I might never wake up. For nearly 30 years, I’ve served my country: in the Navy, for my local council, and for the police. I've helped a lot of people, so I honestly feel really let down by the system.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to go private as I’ll now have to retire later than I’d planned. But I felt forced to — I was desperate. I didn’t know when I’d get a date for my heart surgery, or if it would be cancelled when I did. I had been on sick leave for months by that point, and it was taking a huge mental and physical toll on me and my family.”

Since 2019, the rate of people dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease has risen to the highest level in over a decade. Latest figures show that an average of 750 people aged 75 or under died from cardiovascular disease each week in England in 2023.

BHF modelling suggests that if current trends continue, there could be 11,000 more premature deaths in England alone by 2035. The charity is calling for a bold package of measures to tackle the crisis.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the BHF, told LBC: “There’s an unprecedented crisis in heart and stroke care. Neil’s story is a harsh and heartbreaking reminder that behind the huge waiting list numbers, far too many people are suffering physically and emotionally.

“Fixing this requires a National Cardiovascular Disease Plan to get the nation’s heart health back on track and save thousands of lives.”

Cardiovascular disease causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK and costs the NHS an estimated £12 billion annually. The BHF and other organisations argue that tackling cardiovascular disease is key to improving both public health and economic growth.

James O'Brien discusses the transformative power of therapy with a caller

The consensus statement released today calls for a National Cardiovascular Disease Plan that could better prevent heart disease and stroke, ensure people receive timely treatment, and supercharge cardiovascular research.

Health experts warn that the plan “cannot be put off any longer” as heart failure cases are expected to double by 2040, and cardiovascular disease research faces a projected funding shortfall of over a quarter of a billion pounds over the next decade.

The organisations insist that the plan should be implemented alongside the Government’s upcoming 10-Year Health Plan, which is expected to outline major health and care reforms later this year.

Neil will attend the BHF’s Parliamentary Reception on Wednesday, 26 February, where the consensus statement will be formally launched to MPs and policymakers.