More than half of patients suffering a major heart attack fail to call 999 within the first hour of experiencing symptoms.
That's according to an audit of 2021 urgent cardiac cases by the National Office of Clinical Audit.
Just 44 per cent of patients who arrived at emergency departments by ambulance had called for help within 60 minutes of their symptoms.
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The audit looked at 1500 patients who suffered the most serious form of heart attack in Ireland in 2021.
Dr. Ronan Margey, Clinical Lead of the Irish Heart Attack Audit, says smoking was a major factor in these cases:
