Royal Navy veteran spent £25k of his pension going private for life-saving heart surgery after NHS delays

A NAVY veteran spent £25,000 of his pension going private for life-saving heart surgery because of NHS delays.

Neil Wogan, 52, found out in 2023 that he required an urgent valve replacement.

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But after a four-month wait to see a cardiologist and then an additional four months to wait for an op, he went private, fearing “my heart could fail at any moment”.

Former weapons engineer Neil, now a police community support officer, from Wigan, said: “I feel really let down by the system.”

Neil said: “I felt like a ticking time bomb.

“Every night I went to sleep thinking I might never wake up.

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“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 had been on sick leave by that point for months and it was taking a huge mental and physical toll on me and my family.

“I’ve served my country for nearly 30 years: in the Navy, for my local council, and for the police.

“I feel really let down by the system.”

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The British Heart Foundation called it the result of an “unprecedented crisis” in heart care, with 420,000 in England on waiting lists.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the UK and second for women.

An NHS spokesperson said: "NHS teams are working hard to improve access to key diagnostic tests and ensure that patients get to see the right specialist as soon as possible, but there is much more to do as some are still waiting too long for care, which we know can be really difficult.

“Boosting capacity for cardiac care remains crucial."

Dr John Patterson, associate medical director for NHS Greater Manchester, said: “We are very sorry to hear about Mr Wogan’s experience and understand how stressful and frustrating waiting for surgery can be.

“We are committed to providing the best care and support to patients, both during their wait and throughout their treatment.”