By Neil Trainis

A pharmacist was hailed a “healthcare hero” after saving the life of an epileptic passenger who started suffering seizures during a flight.

Stephen Payne, a pharmacist at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, was awarded its Healthcare Heroes award after coming to the aid of 73-year-old passenger Alan Brettell who began convulsing an hour into a flight from Birmingham to Cyprus with his family.

The Trust said Payne gave Brettell “urgent medical care and support,” comforting and supporting him for the last two hours of the flight and waiting with him on the plane after they had landed in Cyprus until an ambulance arrived.

Brettell, who made a full recovery, insisted Payne was “absolutely brilliant” and, describing his presence on the flight as “a wonderful coincidence,” added: “It just shows that even at 20,000 feet NHS workers are always ready to help.”

Brettell's wife Rose, who was travelling with him on the flight and is a former nurse at the Trust, said: “It was a very challenging situation but with the help of Stephen, we managed to make it to Cyprus and enjoy our holiday. The chances of us being sat in front of a former colleague from Russells Hall Hospital was incredible and we will always be grateful to him for his help.”

The Trust’s chief executive Diane Wake said: “We have had so many deserving winners of these awards in recent years but Stephen’s actions in helping Alan are fantastic. Not only does it show what a great healthcare professional he is, but also what a wonderful human being.”

Picture: Pharmacist Stephen Payne (right) receives his award from Alan Brettell.