Leader of South Holland District Council Lord Porter is back at work following a triple heart bypass – and he has secured a fourth term as Local Government Association chairman.
Taken ill in the Houses of Parliament, Lord Porter was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital London on June 4.
He’d had chest pains earlier in the day and had to take a 20-minute rest on the way to a meeting, feeling hot and clammy, but was ok again until the pains returned some hours later and he went to hospital. There he underwent tests and came to realise the seriousness of his situation.
He said: “I was told I wasn’t going to be leaving at that point because if I did there was nothing to stop me dropping down dead.”
A nine-hour operation followed on June 7 and Lord Porter was home again on June 12.
He has praised the excellent care he received and urged others to take swift action should they have similar symptoms.
He said: “If you have got chest pain go and see the doctor. Don’t mess around. It’s far better to risk wasting ten minutes of the doctor’s time to hook you up to a machine and tell you it’s indigestion.
“I’m feeling really good. I’ve had toothache that hurt more and when I did a pancake race for Headway I felt more out of breath than I do at the moment.”
Lord Porter was back in South Holland District Council offices within days and is due back at LGA meetings next week.
He discovered last week he will continue for a fourth term as LGA chairman, which is the maximum permitted.
He said: “I’m really pleased I’ve got it and really sad it comes to an end at some point. It’s a really interesting job. It means I get to interfere in the national picture and makes things better for us in South Holland.”
