The entire Harrogate Town first team have undergone ECG heart checks at BMI The Duchy Hopsital.
The players were strapped up to the specialist heart monitors to check their circulatory systems as part of the club's ongoing commitment to health and fitness.The importance of the checks are especially poignant for Jack Emmett, who lost not only his twin brother Alex but also his university friend Dan to heart attacks at an early age.
Alex, a diabetic, suffered a cardiac arrest aged just 18. Dan, a fellow football player, had been playing for Sheffield's Shaw Lane when he died after a heart attack on the pitch.
“Losing people that close has really underlined to me the importance of health checks,” said Jack. “Every time I play football, this is in the back of my mind. If Dan had had an ECG that would have shown there was a problem and may have saved his life. Dan was so healthy and fit, and the last person you'd think would have a heart attack. It's reassuring to have these scans and to know that there is nothing wrong.“
Cardiologist Professor Chris Gale from BMI The Duchy Hospital said: “It's good to see Harrogate Town Football Club working alongside BMI The Duchy to promote good heart health in this way. The emphasis they are placing on ensuring the health of their players is a good example of how we can all look after ourselves and each other.”
Simon Weaver added: “We've a lot of young men with young families; we need to make sure that they are safe and to know that we care about them. The Duchy has been great – for example we had a player with an ankle injury not long ago and he was in and x-rayed within 20 minutes. It's that level of care that we can provide to the players, in conjunction with The Duchy Hospital, that makes a difference.”
About BMI The Duchy Hospital
BMI The Duchy Hospital is part of the BMI Healthcare hospital network. It provides a range of inpatient, outpatient and day-case specialties, including orthopaedic, spinal, general medicine, urology, ear nose and throat, Cosmetic, Vascular surgery and neurology. Diagnostic and specialist equipment on site includes ultrasound and x-ray together with mobile MRI. Also provided are Health Assessments and a private GP service.
Led by executive director Debbie Dobbs, the hospital in Queen's Road, Harrogate, provides services for NHS patients, for insured patients and for patients who choose to pay for their own care.
For more information about BMI The Duchy Hospital visit www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/duchy