Heart attack victim told to attend work despite laying in hospital wired to monitors

A heart attack victim had a phone call telling him to attend a work scheme - as he lay in bed wired to monitors.

Colin Rogers, 58, was taken after suffering chest pains, the Liverpool Echo reports.

His wife Carol said she was later told he was 'moments from death' as his heart failed.

Specialists said he must undergo a quadruple heart bypass operation after he was taken ill on September 27.

Yet, days later – despite his wife informing the Job Centre of her husband’s condition and asking that this be passed on – as he lay in bed in hospital he received a call about his place on the Government’s Work Programme.

Colin had worked for Champion Spark Plugs until the factory closed and he was made redundant.

He was told by a manager from public services company A4e that he was committed to the work programme he had been signed up and would have to continue it.

Colin, who came out of hospital a few days ago, said: “I couldn’t believe that they were ringing me.

"I had given my wife a list of people who needed to be told and she had contacted the Job Centre and told them A4e needed to be informed what had happened to me.

"So I was completely shocked and I said to the guy I couldn’t believe he was phoning me, that he was supposed to have been told that I had a heart attack.

“This guy was persisting about wanting to discuss the next plan of action but I said I was ending the conversation and put the phone down.”

Colin said within minutes of this a nurse, who had noticed his heart monitor, came and asked if there was a problem.

But he said: “I didn’t want to say anything because I was embarrassed I was being phoned up like that.”

"I was disgusted with what had happened. I want to work, but all I seem to be doing is fighting these people.”

A spokeswoman for DWP said 'correct procedures had been followed'.

A spokeswoman for A4e said: “The telephone call that was made to Mr Rogers had been pre-arranged two months earlier, and when we rang him, we were unaware he had been taken seriously ill and was in hospital.

“The conversation was very brief and as soon as we realised Mr Rogers was in hospital, we ended the call. All correct procedures were followed, and no further contact has been made.”